Audio Format: DD 2.0 Stereo
Video Format: Widescreen 2.35:1 (Anamorphic)
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin
Subtitles: English, Chinese (T), Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia
Region Code: 3
Year Made: 1980
Running Time: 99
Lau Kar-leung follows up on his 1978 classic with this comic kung-fu flick which is more of a parody than a sequel to the original. Two-bit con artist Chi (Gordon Lau Kar-fai) convinces a group of desperate workers at a dye mill who have been denied their pay by their evil Manchu bosses that he is none other than the legendary martial arts master San Te. Chi tries to hide his utter lack of kung-fu ability until he gets humiliated by crack kung-fu fighter Boss Wang (Johnny Wang Lung-wei). Chi scurries to the Shaolin temple hoping to develop some real ability. Initially he is turned away by the monks until San Te himself takes pity on the guy. There Chi learns the skills he needs to take out Wang and thwart the baddies.
This surprisingly lighthearted sequel to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is one of the best films to emerge from Hong Kong's "kung-fu comedy" craze of the late '70s and early '80s. The clever script parallels all the plot points of that classic (hero is disgraced, undergoes arduous training, and returns home for a triumphant battle with his enemies), but sets them on their ear by making the hero of the film a lazy, scheming layabout who is always looking for the short cut to power and glory. As a result, these key plot points are given a deliciously witty spin, especially the scenes in which the hero tries to bluff his way through Shaolin training. Return to the 36th Chamber further benefits from a charismatic performance by Gordon Liu, who throws out the intense dramatics of his work in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin for a witty performance that blends tongue-in-cheek melodramatics with a sharp skill for slapstick humor. The end result is a performance that is as touching as it is funny; his best moment is the transformation from depression to childlike joy at the moment when he realizes all his servant work at the Shaolin temple actually gave him the skills needed to be a kung-fu master. The film's appeal is sealed by Lau Kar-Leung's direction, which plays up the humorous side to the film's action but makes certain that each fight is as taut and skillfully choreographed as the best straight kung-fu film battle. All these elements gel beautifully to create a film that is as exciting as it is funny, and this combination makes Return to the 36th Chamber a delightful shot of fun for any kung-fu film fanatic.
