DanTheMan 2
A bizarre, unconventional, almost anachronistic parody of the original 36th Chamber, Return to the 36th Chamber is just as much fun as its predecessor albeit for very different reasons. Equal parts spoof and as it is a straightforward martial arts actioner, the film recasts Gordon Liu as a down-on-his-luck con artist learning the ropes from the very character he played in the original, one that pushes Liu's comedic chops to the forefront and one he pulls off exceptionally well. The lighter tone and bigger focus on comedy oddly work in the film's favour, it's a welcome change of pace in direct contrast to the original, one that I found myself laughing at consistently. Lau Kar-leung maintains his stunning direction with just as much emphasis here on training sequences versus actual fighting which are once again a fantastic sight to behold. Admittedly, some aspects of the plot don't hold up to intensive scrutiny, but for what it is, Return to the 36th Chamber works. A fun-filled, highly engaging piece with a heightened sense of reality that will please fans and newcomers alike.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
09/09/24
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Audience Member
Mais cômico que primeiro, recheado de ironias, e cenas digna de pastelões, mas o roteiro, seguindo a linha do primeiro, jovem destemido em busca de aprender Kung Fu no Templo Shaolim, para libertar o povo da tirania, aqui um empregador malvado, as lutas sempre presente e incessantes, como num bailar no ar, adorável, seguindo com as 36 câmaras. Muito bom, um tiquinho de nada, inferior ao primeiro...
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Let's see what else I can do.
A small town is filled with dye workers that are overtaken by the Manchu who come in with their own dye workers and quickly put the town folk out of business. A man pretending to be a Shaolin monk arrives in town and the town folk think they've been saved, but they quickly find out he's a fraud. He agrees to go to the Shaolin temple, truly learn martial arts, and comes back to save them. He is put to various tasks, but nothing he resembles as martial arts. Will the fraud be able to save the people from the Manchu?
"My life is difficult."
Liu Chia-Liang, director of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Dirty Ho, Shaolin Mantis, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, The Legend of Drunken Master, and Drunken Master Killer, delivers Return of the 36th Chamber. The storyline for this picture isn't a follow up to the previous picture, but a unique plot that isn't as dynamic and entertaining. The action remains excellent and Gordon Liu is awesome in the lead role.
"Most of us steal food now."
I watched this a long time ago and was surprised I never wrote a review for it. This was recently added to Netflix so I decided to watch it again. I enjoyed this movie and always have, but this is a step down from the original and only a classic due to Liu's greatness. This is a must see for martial arts genre fans.
"I'm not a sack of grain."
Grade: B-
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
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Audience Member
A lot of fun... follows a similar path to the first movie, but taking a completely different angle. Gordon Liu is a con artist, pretending to be his character from the first movie, but when things get too dangerous, he tries to learn kung fu for real at the Shaolin Temple. He isn't directly taught, but does learn how to fight indirectly, without really knowing, and I love how they do this. It has that typical Liu Chia-Liang zaniness, and I always wish his movies were a bit more serious. I couldn't stand this one guy who had the biggest fake teeth in film history. But man, Liu Chia-Liang was always the best action innovator, and I loved his scaffolding kung fu.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
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Audience Member
An exciting comedy martial arts movie with solid action sequence from Director Chia Liang Liu.Can't judge this is a good sequel yet because I haven't seen the original.Very nice fights at the end,Favorite!!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I think this loose sequel to the 36th Chamber of Shaolin is an improvement. Its not brought down by a revenge story, its lighter in tone and about justice and fair wages. An actor sneaks into Shaolin Temple in order to train, so that he can fight unfair Manchurians who have overtaken the dye mill.
Gordon Liu shows his acting range. He does not start off as a badass this time, instead he plays a goofy man who can act and uses it for trouble. When he gets beat up the Manchurians while trying to pass himself off as a powerful monk, he trains for real and becomes a fighting machine.
By adding humour, it adds another dimension. The training scenes are hilarious, and it entertains until the big final finish in a construction zone with scaffolding. A very entertaining martial arts movie.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
Full Review
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