Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Sorry, this movie sucks

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin is mostly known for being a transitional movie for Jackie. He did not play the grim Bruce Lee archetype that Lo Wei tried to mold in him, but was the start of a comedic and lighter hero for Chan. Snake and Crane was a box office failure in Hong Kong, but it got Jackie recognition in Hong Kong. It also showcased his increased intricate and atypical fight choreography with an increase of humor and props.There is really much to like in this film. Chen Chi-hwa (Half a Loaf of Kung Fu) did an excellent job of direction with beautiful wide-screen shots of gorgeous scenery and elaborate placement of camera position. I wish he directed more films. Jackie's choreographed fight scenes are also very good. Like many of the martial art films of this time, the plot is the rub. Though I did like the first half of the plot.The film starts with Jackie displaying his various knowledge of weapons including the spear (I cannot believe they lifted music from Monty Python and the Holy Grail for this scene.) The aerobatic display that Chan does (along with others) is far superior to any martial art action done later in the film. Jackie stars as Su Yin Fong, a sarcastic and most excellent Kung Fu practitioner who has possession of the book "The Eight Steps of the Snake and Crane." A manual of techniques that was thought, along with the Dragon Spear, to be in the possession of Master Lin. It was created and collaborated by eight masters of Shaolin who mysteriously vanished. Or did they? Being in possession of such a prize and openly flaunting it, Su finds himself the target of many ruffians. He is jumped by the Ting Brothers while fishing. He is attacked by the Wu Tang Clan while eating. Later he is attacked by various members of the Black Dragon Clan, Beggar Clan and the Flying Tiger Clan. His only ally is Fong Sie Pin of the Ere May Clan who killed Lady Suon and her minion after Jackie Chan had already defeated them. Su is also looking for a shoulder-scarred man. He will not let anything stop him from this goal. This includes advances from Tang Pin Nhur (Nora Miao) and her offering of a treasured golden peacock! Now that is a lot of fortitude (or else he is eunuch.) Nora actually has some decent fight scenes in this film. But the plot winds down with too many obvious turns (like who the shoulder-scarred man is and what happened to the Shaolin monks.)I do feel like this film is worth watching. In addition to the beautiful photography and the actors I have mentioned there are great characters like Lu Lo Qui (with his cursing match against Su), Hong Tu (Gam Ching Lan) who is a pretty petite female pretending to be a male, and Chien Tse (Kam Kong.) If only the plot was stronger (and possibly Lo Wei had less influence on the story) then this film would be mentioned more often and I could create a more cohesive critique. But for historical purposes it will always have its place as a transitional movie in Jackie Chan's illustrious career.

At first glance this movie is just another one of those old chan movies with the slightly irritating, forgettable title, and equally forgettable movie, but this one's content is pretty good.It only drags occasionally, and the action (and even plot!) is very good, great to see jackie in control! It does make a change seeing him play someone other then the lovable underdog as well, but although this movies isn't humerous as far as i could tell, it's not deadly serious either. Snake & Crane is horribly edited, and critisising the dubbing of a jackie chan movie is hardly an original notion, but it is very watchable, and while not a 'must-see' it is definatly one of Jackie's old ones that fans shouldn't be afraid to take a look at!

I watched this movie immediately after watching "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow," another terrific Jackie Chan movie, and it was nice to see a change in the way Chan was written into the story. I felt bad for Jackie Chan in "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" because he was always being bullied around, however, in this movie, Chan is clearly the one with the advantage. It was a lot more fun to watch Jackie Chan whup up on some bad guys, than watch the bad guys whup up on him.I love any fight scene where they use the rattan bo with a knife at the end (long wooden stick with a knife at the end). I've been hooked on using a long staff as a weapon ever since I watched Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles use his staff, and use it effectively. In this movie, watching Jackie Chan use a bo to kick butt only heightened the viewing experience for me. The beginning sequence against the red background while two guys attacked with the staffs and Jackie defended himself with the modern police baton and a sword, WOOO!! that was great! I noticed though, as I watched that, the music they played was that from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's the music that is played during the opening credits of the movie and it was really weird to hear that music being played in a kung fu movie. My only question is: to which movie does the music really belong? Which movie was made first? It turns out Monty Python was made first, so I guess the music was stolen.I really like the plot of this movie. It's so much better than "revenge on a guy who killed someone's family." The use of an ancient text to lure out the killer of seven masters of snake and crane style, leaving one master to teach a student the two styles in order to eventually... get revenge. So you see, while the plot is nothing TOO new, it's still better than other plots of other kung fu movies.What really sets this movie apart from other Jackie Chan movies, is that it doesn't have goofy, and gratuitous dumb humor. This movie sticks to the point, and is serious all the way through. I like that in my kung fu movies. I gave it a 6/10.**Final Decision: * With his abilities, Jackie Chan deserves to be in control**

This film is one of Jackie's best old movies!! People say "Jackie Chan's" old films suck, well they are wrong about this one!!! In this film Jackie kicks people from left to right till the end!!! This film has the usual story were everyone want's to find the stolen book with some style in it!! When I brought the film I wasn't expecting much, but I got too much after all. This film has like 11 action scenes!!!! I haven't seen any old Jackie film with soo much action!! I like how Jackie uses the thing around him as props. Also there are no real stunt's in this film but the action is good. The action is sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Like for example when there was a sword fight, you can call that a fast action scene. But when there was hand to hand action that's slow but not alway's. And the story itself is pretty good. Because in other Jackie film the story is the same and it just get's boring after a while. So I think I sad enough about this great action packed film. So go rent or buy it today!!!!!