| Director | Benny Chan |
|---|---|
| Genre | action film, drama film, kung fu film |
| Runtime | 131 min |
| Country | Hong Kong, People's Republic of China |
| Box office | $33.5 million |
The film is set in early 20th-century China during the Warlord Era. The ruthless warlord Hou Jie defeats his rival Huo Long and seizes control of Dengfeng, forcing Huo to seek shelter in Shaolin Temple. Hou shows up at the temple, kills Huo, and then ridicules the monks before leaving.
Hou intends to assassinate his sworn brother Song Hu so he sets a trap, but his ambitious second-in-command Cao Man betrays him and sends assassins to kill them all. Song is killed while Hou's daughter is severely wounded after falling off a cliff. In desperation, Hou takes her to Shaolin, begging the monks to save her but their efforts are in vain. Hou's wife blames him for their daughter's death and leaves him.
Having lost everything overnight, Hou wanders around Shaolin until he meets the cook Wudao, who provides him food and shelter. Hou feels guilty for his past misdeeds and seeks redemption by becoming a monk. During his stay in Shaolin, he gradually reforms, learns Shaolin's principles through study and martial arts, and finds peace.
Hou is eventually forced to confront his past when he steps in to stop Cao, who has taken over his army, from harming and killing innocents. While Hou distracts Cao, the monks break into Cao's camp to save the labourers, and Hou manages to escape with his wife too. Back at Shaolin, the monks decide to evacuate the temple to avoid trouble. Wudao leads the refugees away while Hou and some monks stay back to defend the temple and buy time.
During the battle, the temple is heavily bombarded with artillery fire, killing many monks and Cao's soldiers. Hou defeats Cao in a fight but sacrifices himself to save the latter from being crushed by a falling beam. He falls into the Buddha statue's palm and dies peacefully, leaving Cao wracked with guilt. The bombardment is eventually stopped while the refugees, under Wudao's leadership, make it to safety.