The 1994 film The New Legend of Shaolin (also known as Legend of the Red Dragon
) stars Jet Li as Hung Hei-kwun, a legendary rebel and Shaolin disciple during the Qing Dynasty. The story follows these key events: The Massacre and the Choice
The film opens with the slaughter of Hung Hei-kwun's village and family by government forces, led by a traitorous former fellow student, Ma Ning-er. Hung manages to save only his infant son, Hung Man-ting. In a dramatic scene, Hung gives the child a choice: a wooden sword (representing a life of revenge) or a cloth doll (representing a peaceful death and freedom from a life of hardship). The boy chooses the sword, setting them on a path of nomadic survival. The Treasure Map
Years later, the Shaolin Temple is destroyed, but before it falls, the Abbott tattoos parts of a secret treasure map onto the backs of five young students, known as the "Five Ancestors". These maps are vital for funding a rebellion against the corrupt Manchu government. Bodyguards and Con Artists
Released in 1994, The New Legend of Shaolin (also known as Legend of the Red Dragon) is a standout entry in Jet Li's extensive filmography, blending high-octane martial arts with a unique father-son dynamic. Directed by the prolific Wong Jing and featuring breathtaking choreography by Corey Yuen, the film is celebrated as a "martial arts masterpiece" that draws inspiration from classics like Lone Wolf and Cub. Movie Overview & Production
Original Title: 洪熙官之少林五祖 (Hong Xi Guan Zhi Shao Lin Wu Zu). Release Date: March 3, 1994 (Hong Kong).
Core Creative Team: Written and directed by Wong Jing and produced by Jet Li.
Action Design: Choreographed by Corey Yuen, known for his fast-paced "fantastical wirework". Plot Summary: A Quest for Vengeance Jet Li Movies The New Legend Of Shaolin
The story follows rebellious Shaolin monk Hung Hei-kwun (Jet Li), who returns home to find his village massacred by Manchu soldiers.
The Sole Survivors: Hung and his young son, Hung Man-ting (Tse Miu), are the only survivors. They set out on a seven-year journey of revenge and survival.
The Treasure Map: Their path intersects with five young Shaolin masters who have fragments of a secret treasure map tattooed on their backs.
The Antagonists: Hung must protect the children from the tyrannical Qing government and a monstrous, near-invincible traitor named Ma Ling-yee (Ji Chunhua). Iconic Cast and Performances
Jet Li as Hung Hei-kwun: Li delivers a stoic, powerhouse performance as a legendary hero.
Tse Miu as Hung Man-ting: In their first of two collaborations as father and son, young Tse Miu nearly steals the show with his incredible kung fu skills and deadpan acting.
Chingmy Yau as Red Bean: She provides a romantic and comedic foil to Li's serious character, playing a high-flying thief. The 1994 film The New Legend of Shaolin
Deannie Yip as Red Bean's Mother: A comedic highlight who adds a touch of farcical humor to the intense action.
The film drops Jet Li’s character, Hung Hei-kwun (a real-life folk hero), into a nightmare. He is a cook at the Shaolin Temple who watches helplessly as a sadistic, eunuch warlord (the gloriously over-the-top Yuen Cheung-yan) massacres the monastery to steal a martial arts manual.
In the chaos, Hung escapes, but not unscathed. He manages to save only two things: the temple’s infant heir (a baby hidden in a drum) and his own infant son, Hung Man-ting. The film then takes a daring turn. Instead of a lone hero seeking revenge, we get a broken father struggling to keep two toddlers alive while being hunted by an army.
The twist? The baby heir grows up to be a toddler who is essentially a comedic genius (played by a child actor with impeccable timing), while Hung’s own son becomes a solemn, vengeful boy. The dynamic is bizarrely charming: a grieving father changing dirty diapers and stealing milk while executing impossibly precise staff forms.
This film was directed by Wong Jing (a prolific, if uneven, director) but the action was choreographed by the legendary Jing Wong and Corey Yuen (who also did The Transporter).
Unlike wire-fu heavy films where actors float like ghosts, The New Legend of Shaolin utilizes a "semi-realistic" style. The wires are present (for leaps and kicks), but the contact is brutal. Jet Li uses a variety of weapons here:
The climax is a forty-minute final battle on a burning wooden fortress. Jet Li fights Pai Mei while his son fights off Pai Mei’s elite guards. It is exhausting, bloody, and deeply satisfying. The Staff: His primary weapon, used with blinding speed
The title is interesting. There is a classic 1976 Shaw Brothers film The New Shaolin Boxers, and numerous stories about the Shaolin Temple. However, "The New Legend" implies a modern (1990s) reinterpretation. Jet Li’s character actually appears in many traditional folk tales. In this version, Wong Jing added the child sidekick to appeal to families and injected dark humor (including a bizarre scene involving a "Pregnant Man" to hide the kid).
This tonal whiplash (child endangerment vs. slapstick comedy) is typical of 90s Hong Kong cinema. While it can be jarring for Western viewers, it adds to the film’s chaotic charm. One minute you are crying; the next, a fat monk is farting. That is the Wong Jing aesthetic.
Corey Yuen choreographs with a sense of desperate chaos. This is not the elegant, wide-horse-stance Shaolin of the 1980s. This is dirty, fast, and weapon-heavy.
The signature scene involves Jet Li fighting a squad of ladder-wielding monks (an homage to the classic Shaolin Temple, but sped up to 1.5x speed). But the film's masterpiece is the finale. As the temple burns around them, Jet Li—strapped with two crying children—fights Lord Ma using a triple-section staff versus a spear.
There is a moment where Jet Li catches his toddler son, spins him around to block a kick, and then throws the child to safety before delivering a palm strike. It is absurd. It is logistically insane. And it is brilliant action cinema.
When discussing the pantheon of martial arts cinema, few names carry as much weight as Jet Li. Known for his unparalleled speed, grace, and the raw intensity of his Wushu background, Li defined an era of Hong Kong cinema in the 1990s. Among his extensive filmography, one title stands out as a fan favorite for its unique blend of dark revenge, father-son drama, and breathtaking choreography: The New Legend of Shaolin (also known as Hong Xi Guan: Legend of the Red Dragon or simply The New Legend of Shaolin).
Released in 1994 at the peak of Jet Li's career, this film is often cited as a quintessential entry point for newcomers and a hidden gem for long-time collectors. In this article, we will dissect every aspect of The New Legend of Shaolin, exploring why it remains one of the best Jet Li movies to date.
Most Jet Li movies focus on honor or nationalism (Once Upon a Time in China). The New Legend of Shaolin focuses on survival. Jet Li spends most of the run time exhausted, wounded, and desperate. The scene where his son is nailed into a box and thrown into a river is shockingly brutal for a 1994 action film. Li’s performance—screaming without sound, tears mixing with rain—shows a range he rarely displays in Western films.
Jet Li is rarely cast as a father. Here, his chemistry with child actor Tse Miu (who plays his son) is the heart of the movie. The boy is not a damsel in distress; he is a sarcastic, scrappy fighter who keeps up with Li’s choreography. Their "dual-staff" fighting sequence against a dozen assassins is a masterpiece of cooperative combat.