Film

Kids from Shaolin

Name: Kids from Shaolin
Genre: Action, Comedy
Released: 1984
Cast: Jet Li, Huang Qiuyan, Yu Hai, Yu Chenghui, Ding Lan

Martial arts action
Light-hearted

A 1984 Hong Kong action-comedy where young martial artists from rival Shaolin and Wudang families fall in love and must unite against bandits. Jet Li was still in his teens here, and the film rides a giddy energy mixing slapstick, romance, and genuine kung-fu spectacle. It's pure escapism for anyone who wants charm and acrobatics over plot.

TMDb rating

3.1

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But Heavier on absurdist humour and cartoonish violence. If you want grounded martial arts, this goes the opposite direction.

Police Story1985

Jackie Chan's masterpiece from the same era: action sequences that feel dangerous and real, with comedy that comes from character rather than mugging. The stunts are breathtaking.

But Darker and more serious in its second half. The tone shifts away from lighthearted fun into genuine peril and a grimmer ending.

My Young Auntie1981

Similar Hong Kong action-comedy spirit with strong martial arts sequences and genuine warmth between characters. Kwan Tak-hing is charismatic, and the film balances humour with real stakes beautifully.

But Slower paced in places. The plot takes time to breathe, which some will find meandering.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kids from Shaolin

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Blade1995

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The 36th Chamber of Shaolin1978

The definitive Shaolin kung-fu film. Gordon Liu's transformation from cocky student to disciplined master is thrilling, and the action sequences are the template that influenced everything after.

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Drunken Master1978

Jackie Chan's breakthrough, where drunken-style kung-fu becomes a vehicle for slapstick brilliance. The climactic fight is a masterclass in comedic action choreography.

But The first half is genuinely mean-spirited. Chan's character gets beaten around a lot before charm settles in.

The Young Master1980

Jackie Chan's love letter to Hong Kong action cinema. Multiple styles, multiple fights, genuine comedy woven through, and a sense that no idea is too mad to try.

But Chaotic and sometimes incoherent. Plot takes a back seat to set pieces, which works brilliantly until it doesn't.

Five Element Ninjas1982

Peak 1980s Hong Kong action excess: colourful costumes, creative kills, element-based fighting styles, and total commitment to the absurd. Never takes itself seriously for a moment.

But Exploitation film sensibilities mean some questionable moments. Also genuinely cartoonish, which some find dated.

Once Upon a Time in China1991

Jet Li twelve years older in a different universe. Where Kids from Shaolin is about youth overcoming barriers, this is about a master figure wrestling with time and obsolescence.

Jet Li as the real-world folk hero Wong Fei-hung, directed by Tsui Hark. Enormously ambitious action cinema that treats martial arts as history, philosophy, and heartbreak, not just spectacle.

But Serious and elegiac in a way that Kids from Shaolin is not. You're watching a man trying to hold onto a culture as it dies, not kids falling in love. Heavy film.

Kiss of the Dragon2001

The plot mirror is exact: families/worlds in opposition, forced unity against external threat, love as rebellion. But executed in a completely different register, proving the skeleton works anywhere.

A French-American noir about corruption and survival, directed by Chen Kaige. Different genre entirely—no kung-fu—but the same elegant camera work and the same sense of two people from opposite worlds finding unlikely connection amidst chaos.

But Dark and sexual in ways that have nothing to do with the innocent romance here. Also very much an adult film about adult violence and trauma.