1982’s Shaolin Temple (少林寺| Shàolínsì) is a movie full of firsts. It is pint-sized action phenomenon Jet Li’s first movie. It’s the first Hong Kong-style kung-fu movie to be made in Mainland China. It’s maybe even the first movie to ever cause a temple to be restored to something resembling its original status as a training ground for some of the best martial artists in the world. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s probably the first, and last, movie where the hero accidentally suffocates his love interest’s dog, gets found out by her while grilling said puppy on a stick and sharing it unwillingly with the other monks and their master in violation of Buddhism and also good taste, and still manages to salvage their budding romance.

It was probably the Jet Li character’s ninja skills with the ladies as much as his kungfu prowess – 18 year old Li had already retired from competition martial arts after winning medals for the Beijing Wushu Team and performing for Richard Nixon (who supposedly asked Li to be his bodyguard) - that caused thousands of young viewers to run away to Shaolin Temple to try and become monks.

Shaolin Temple is a great martial arts movie – there is “you killed my father, prepare to die” plot, amazing training scenes against gauzy wall calendar-looking backdrops, and a relationship that may not have a stood the test of time but survived the killing and eating of the leading lady’s precious pet.

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