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Celluloid
ActionAdventure Editor's Pick

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin Review (1978) — 85% Celluloid Score

Directed by Lau Kar-leung · 1978 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin worth watching?

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) earns a 85% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for The 36th Chamber of Shaolin?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

85%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

94% Critic Score
90% Audience
82 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.1
7.6 IMDb /10
Runtime
1h 56m
Cast
Gordon Liu Chia-Hui , Lo Lieh , John Cheung Ng-Long , Wilson Tong Wai-Shing , Wa Lun , Hon Kwok-Choi , Lau Kar-Wing , Wai Wang
Country
Hong Kong
Language
Mandarin

Where to watch

Not confirmed on any major streaming platform yet — check local listings.

Why this score?

  • Strong critic approval (94% positive).
  • Audiences widely enjoyed it (90%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (82/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.1/5).
  • Celluloid Score 85% averages all five public rating sources — our own composite, not a third-party trademark score.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded action, adventure pick

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin worth watching?

    Yes — The 36th Chamber of Shaolin earns a 85% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Critics Consensus

    The definitive training film — Gordon Liu earns every technique on screen, and half of hip-hop took its name from it.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin about?

    During the Qing Dynasty, a fishmonger is killed by the reigning Manchu government for supporting the anti-government movement; his son manages to escape to Shaolin Temple, where he plans to learn its secretive brand of martial arts to seek revenge.

    Critic Reviews

    critic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) Review

    Lau Kar-leung's The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) remains a defining Action landmark from Hong Kong, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

    Essential viewing — a certified classic.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

    Reader takes

    No reader takes published yet — be the first helpful voice.

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