Shaolin Traitorous (1976): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1976, Shaolin Traitorous is an action film directed by Sung Ting-Mei, running about 90 minutes.

What it’s about. The plot is a standard revenge tale told in a concise manner that involves a boy witnessing his parents' murder at the hands of corrupt officials and growing up to achieve vengeance. The boy goes to Shaolin Temple to learn kung fu in a superb training sequence that ranks with some of the better-known Shaolin Temple scenes in kung fu cinema. By the time the boy has completed his training, he has grown up to be Carter Wong and soon sets out on his mission. He meets Polly Shang Kwan along the way and, after some initial antagonism, the two become allies and confront the villains. The bad guys employ a particularly clever maneuver involving dozens of imperial guardsmen performing a variety of formations on cue (including standing on each other's shoulders, three men high) as Sammo Hung bangs out different drumbeats. Sammo and Carter engage in a particularly exciting bout against the backdrop of a mountainous landscape midway through the film.

Who’s in it. Shaolin Traitorous stars Carter Wong as Shang Yung, Polly Shang-Kuan Ling-Feng as Hsiao Yun Erh / Tso Yun Lan, Chang Yi as Tin Erh Keng and Sammo Hung as First Head, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 3.8/10, Shaolin Traitorous has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Shaolin Traitorous page.

If you liked it. Fans of Shaolin Traitorous 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.