Shaolin Rescuers is a 1979 Shaw Brothers directed by Chang Cheh, one of the many Shaolin-themed Martial Arts Movie released in the studios during the late 70s, spun-off from the success of The Shaolin Temple (1976).
In the aftermath of the Shaolin Temple's massacre, where the corrupt monk, Pai Mei, ordered an ethnic cleansing that results in most of the Shaolin leaders dead, the temple's sole survivor, Hong Xi-guan, flees to the big city while being hunted by General Gao Jin-zhong, a Manchu general who is tasked with wiping out the Shaolin resistance.
In the big city, a bunch of hooligans and friends including Chen Ah-Jin (Lo Mang) the beancurd seller, Yang Da-bao (Philip Kwok) the waiter and Chu Tsai (Sun Chien) a martial arts student are bored with life, thinking they're destined to be losers until they die, despite having skills in kung fu which they're unable to show off due to circumstances. A chance meeting with Hong Xi-guan however inspires them to join the Shaolin for a good cause.
Shaolin Rescuers contains examples of:
- Big Bad: General Gao Jin-zhong leads the Manchurian forces in the Shaolin genocide, killing every member of the Shaolin sect in order to wipe out all resistance to the Manchurian domination. He also really, really enjoys his job.
- Bolivian Army Ending: After killing General Gao Jin-zhong and his personal guards, the remaining Shaolin heroes are left to face an incoming wave of Manchurian reinforcements. They then brace themselves to be overwhelmed, massively outnumbered and no way to escape. Roll credits.
- Carry a Big Stick: The chui, a copper pumpkin-shaped mace on a stick, is wielded by Ah Jin in the final fight scene.
- Downer Beginning: The film opens with the destruction of the Shaolin Temple and massacre of most of their leaders, with Hong Xi-guan narrowly escaping to re-establish the Shaolin sect on his own.
- Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting: Yes, everybody. Since it's a Venoms Mob movie where every member is involved...
- Improvised Weapon: Yang Da-bao, who is a waiter in a restaurant, can fight using chopsticks and a bowl as his weapons.
- Mundane Made Awesome: Ah-Jin using his kung-fu skills in his introduction scene... to twist, spin and prepare dough for baking bread. He's an ex-warrior-turned-baker, after all.
- Sole Survivor: Hong Xi-guan is the only survivor of the Shaolin Temple massacre as shown in the opening scene.
- Stock Wushu Weapons: A lot of these are shown during the Shaolin training scene, as well as when the heroes bands together for one last defense against the Manchurian invaders in the finale.
- Training Montage: Hong Xi-guan gets to train Gao Jin-zhong, Chu Tsai and Chen Ah-Jin in the ways of the Shaolin.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: There are two plot threads in the film; the hooligans Yang Da-bao, Chu Tsai, and Chen Ah-Jin getting into trouble and bumbling about their daily lives, and the warrior Hong Xi-guan fleeing the destruction of the Shaolin Temple and escaping from the Manchurian invaders hell-bent on wiping out the Shaolin sect. Then Hong meets with the bunch, and inspires them to find a purpose in life by fighting for a good cause.
- We ARE Struggling Together: The heroes, with Hung Hsi-kwan their new mentor, after realizing it's up to them to face the incoming wave of Manchurian fighters led by General Gao.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: The film opens with the introduction of the "Heroes of Shaolin", a dozen of them, including names that regular fans of Shaw kung-fu flicks would find familiar with (such as Fang Shi-yu, Monk San-Te from The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), only they're being played by different actors. And then, the villains led by Monk Pai Mei attacks, and kills all of them except Hong Xi-guan... before the opening credits. Cue the introduction of the new heroes.
- Wire Fu: Most of the fights utilizes this technique, a standard practice for Shaws' Venoms Mob.
