Released	1980
Directed by	Chen Chi Hwa
Written by	Unknown
Reviewed by	Shad
Rating	7/10 fists

In my opinion, this is one of the best of Jackie Chan’s early films. In the beginning of the film, we learn that the Masters came together one day to develop a new technique through the use of all their other animal techniques. The result was a most powerful style of Kung Fu called The Eight Steps of the Snake and Crane. Shortly after they developed this most powerful Kung Fu, the Masters disappeared, along with the Book of the Snake and Crane and the Dragon Spear, the Shaolin symbol of authority. Jackie plays our mild-mannered hero Soo Yun Foon, who wanders from town to town searching for the man responsible for the disappearance of the Masters. We soon find out that Jackie is in possession of the Snake and Crane book, and before long everyone is after him: the Tang Pin-Nur, the Tiger clan, Beggar’s clan, and even the notorious Black Dragon clan. Each clan has their turn in persuading, capturing, and fighting Jackie as each of them tries to get the book for themselves, but Jackie is just too clever for them. In the end, the clans set their differences aside and pull together to try to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the Masters and the Dragon Spear. 

                The best thing about this movie is the cast of characters. Of course, Jackie plays the main character, but there are so many supporting characters that are so different and yet so important to the plot. Jackie comes across a young boy who steals food, but when he gets caught Jackie pays for the stolen goods and treats the kid to a nice meal. The kid comes and goes as he likes, is very obnoxious, and has a bad habit of scratching his nose often. This is probably the kid’s most distinctive characteristic, because even when he’s fighting later in the movie, he beats someone up, scratches his nose, and moves on to the next...it’s very cool. The master of each respective clan also has their own distinguishing characteristics that make each of them very memorable. The leader of Tang Pin-Nur is a beautiful lady who wields a flute. She is accompanied by her bodyguard; a large mountain of a man who only speaks two syllables at a time. The leader of the Beggar clan is, of course, the same old man who plays the beggar in every Jackie Chan movie except Drunken Master, and of course he is a cocky, laid back, and courageous individual with a walking stick as his weapon of choice. The Tiger clan leader is a tall fighter who uses metal meditation balls as his weapon. He is quoted as saying "I’m a bit strange, so I never know why I do things!" Lastly, the Black Dragon clan are the baddies, led by a humongous fighter with a strong head. Near the end of the movie, the Black Dragon leader hires three mercenaries to fight Jackie, and they look almost exactly like the 3 Storms from Big Trouble in Little China. There’s also several other characters I’d like to mention but perhaps I’ll take time to update this someday and write more on them. 

                The Kung Fu scenes in this movie are very good, some I would even call explosive, especially for movies this old. Jackie is incredibly fast, and there are several close-fighting scenes in an inn, a house, and a rocky canyon where he truly demonstrates the extent of his acrobatic abilities and technique. But that’s not all! Almost every other character in this movie has their own fighting style, and it’s very entertaining when we see them all fighting as a group, which happens more than a few times. The use of props is important in this film. Early on, Jackie beats people with the usual tables and chairs, but later on other characters use more interesting weapons, such as the metal meditation balls from the Tiger clan leader, and the amazing reversible spears used by the mercenaries near the end.  

                If there were any Jackie Chan movie that I would like to see a remake of, this one would be it. It had so much potential, if only it was a little better quality, it would truly be a hit even in this digital age. The elements of the film such as drama, comedy, tragedy, and mystery keep the viewer always guessing, wondering what will happen next or what new sinister character will appear in the following scene. Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin is a movie that everyone can enjoy, with a great story and amazing fight sequences, and will continue to be one of my favorite movies for a very long, long time.