Between 1982 and 1993 Li made 17 films, including some of his most classic. In 1994 he starred in this film, The New Legend of Shaolin, which attempted to cash in on the popularity of Shaolin Temple, the film that launched his career and started a franchise. Li stars as Hung Hei-kwun, a real-life Chinese folkhero, and the survivor of a massacre at the Shaolin Temple (see numerous martial arts films for details). Hei-kwun's entire family is massacred, with only his infant son, Man Ting, surviving the deadly attack by the evil forces out to destroy the Shaolin. Hei-kwun is determined to exact revenge on those that butchered his loved ones, but knowing the life of danger that awaits him, he offers his son an option of peace. Hei-kwun places before Man Ting a toy horse and a sword. If the child chooses the toy, his father will kill the boy and send him to a peaceful existence in the afterlife. But if Man Ting chooses the sword, he will be forced to go on a blood-splattered killing rampage. It doesn't take too much imagination to guess which choice Man Ting makes, especially if you've ever seen any of the Japanese Lone Wolf & Cub films, which New Legend of Shaolin freely "borrows" from.

Years after Man Ting chooses the sword over the toy horse, father and son wander the land on what seems like a never-ending trail of death and destruction. And while all of this killing is going on, Hei-kwun is careful to take the time to dispense pearls of wisdom to his son. "Always kill with all you've got and with no mercy," he tells the boy. It's right around this time the film takes the first of many turns as the duo cross paths with a wealthy man looking to hire Hei-kwun as his bodyguard, and a female con artist (Chingmy Yau) working with her mother, who's pretending to be a corpse. There are several epic battles as Hei-kwun hunts and is hunted by those that betrayed his temple, until eventually he squares of against this supernatural warrior who is covered in burn scars, and is skilled in something called "invincible kung fu."

If any of this sounds remotely confusing or just plain ridiculous, that would be because it is. Die-hard fans of kung fu epics know how odd the stories can get, especially when made by director Jing Wong, who is known more for the prolific nature of his directing than the cinematic quality. This is, after all, a man who directed 16 films during the two-year period of 1993 and 1994. The New Legend of Shaolin was one of these films, and the convoluted story, inconsistent tone and style of the film is enough to make you wonder if footage from some of those other films was accidentally edited into this one. But that's just how Wong makes movies.

The New Legend of Shaolin is not a terrible film, but it is certainly not one of Jet Li's best films. Rather, this is the sort of film you watch for the action sequences, while keeping the remote control handy for the parts that don't involve asskicking.

Video:
The New Legend of Shaolin is presented in letterbox format. The picture quality is decent, but not great. The source print has some scratches, and shows signs of wear. Those unfamiliar with martial arts films may be disappointed with the overall picture quality, but hardcore fans will recognize this print as fairly high quality, especially compared to some of what is out there.

Audio:
The New Legend of Shaolin is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks. English subtitles are optional and easy to read, but don't make the ridiculous story any less ridiculous.

Extras:
The only bonus feature on this "special edition" disc -- not including the collection of trailers for other Tai Seng releases -- is an audio commentary featuring noted Hong Kong film expert Ric Meyers, Frank Djeng who works for Tai Seng (the DVD's distributor), and F.J. Desantos, a kung fu film fanatic. Meyers is a talented writer, and certainly knows his stuff when it comes to Hong Kong cinema, but that doesn't change the fact that I wasn't really looking forward to a commentary by him and two others I had never heard of. Surprisingly, the commentary by Meyers, Djeng and Desantos is both entertaining and informative. Watching New Legend of Shaolin while listening to the audio commentary is a lot like watching the film with a group of kung fu film nerds, who have spent a bit too much time watching these movies.

Final Thoughts:
Fans of Jet Li and martial arts action films will enjoy The New Legend of Shaolin, if for no other reason than the great fight sequences staged by Corey Yuen. The fast-paced action spectacles are certainly worth watching, and even warrant multiple viewings, but the overall film, on the other hand, is only mildly entertaining, and suffers from over-reliance on comedic relief and a script that is simply confusing.