Shaolin (2011): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2011, Shaolin is an action and drama film directed by Benny Chan, running about 131 minutes. “In a land torn by strife, the righteous monks of Shaolin stand as a beacon of hope for the oppressed masses.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. China is plunged into strife as feuding warlords try to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin's masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But the pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao is forced to take refuge with the monks. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords. They launch a daring plan or rescue and escape.

Who’s in it. Shaolin stars Andy Lau as General Hou Jie, Nicholas Tse as Tsao Man, Fan Bingbing as Madam Hou and Jackie Chan as Wudao, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Shaolin has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $33.7M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads and Hi-YAH Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube and FlixFling. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Shaolin page.

If you liked it. Fans of Shaolin tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.