Shaolin Intruders
Shaolin Intruders
三闖少林
Overview
"When several clan leaders are murdered by assassins using techniques exclusive to Shaolin Temple, a rogue swordsman and a scholarly investigator attempt to infiltrate the monastery. They must fight their way through the temple's defensive arrays to prove the monks' innocence and uncover a massive conspiracy involving a gambling syndicate."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
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To enter the temple, the heroes must bypass a bizarre defensive formation of monks who lock their wooden interlocking staves together like a geometric puzzle.
"shaolin intruders monk array""interlocking staff formation fight" - ▶
The heroes are trapped in the massive Arhat Array, forced to fight constantly moving, synchronized rings of monks demonstrating perfect group choreography.
"fighting the arhat array""giant circle of monks" - ▶
The final showdown takes place not in the temple, but in a hidden underground gambling den, where the mastermind uses his deadly 'Diamond Finger' technique.
"diamond finger technique""gambling den final fight"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The heroes challenging the 'Arhat Array', a massive formation of monks moving like a giant, coordinated machine.
- ★The fight against the four abbots, who combine their staves to form a unified, deadly geometrical trap.
- ★The revelation of the villain's identity in the hidden gambling den.
Cultural Context
- ◈Directed by Tang Chia, the legendary choreographer who often worked in the shadow of Lau Kar-leung, making this a rare film where Tang both directed and designed the action.
- ◈Famous for its utterly bizarre, geometric 'monk array' formations, where dozens of monks fight as a single, synchronized unit.
- ◈Blends a wuxia murder mystery with traditional Shaolin kung fu tropes.
About the Action Elements
Shaolin Intruders is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving monk formation, interlocking staves, puzzle, defensive array, geometric. One of the most memorable sequences features Derek Yee naturally executing shaolin intruders monk array, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.