With its mix of high octane martial arts and Eastern spirituality, Shaolin succeeds as a stirring anti-violence action epic.

It takes confidence to cast Jackie Chan in an action movie, and only have him participate in one action sequence. Yet confidence is something director / producer Benny Chan has in spades, in addition to ambition, talent, and an on key spiritual compass.

Shaolin is a testament to those attributes. Set during the Warlord Era in early 20th century China (a setting used in many a Chinees period piece), the film stars the ever versatile Any Lau as General Hou Jie, a power hungry warrior whose love of violence leads to his downfall and the destruction of his family.

Broken in body and spirit, Hou Jie is taking in by a monk cook (a charming supporting turn by Jackie Chan), and turns to the guidance of Buddhist monks, who as a General he persecuted.

What follows is a martial arts epic that is as much a religious play as it is a wuxia thriller, with thoughtful, heartfelt drama meshing well with large scale action sequences.

It’s not often that you’ll find lightning quick punch and Buddhist philosophy side by side in such harmony. Equally rare is the manner in which this protagonist conducts himself.

Here is a man whose life has essentially been destroyed by a villain (Nicholas Tse) who is every bit the essence of evil: greedy, envious, and murderous. Yet instead of vengeance, it is the attainment of peace which Hou Jie seeks. Rather than raising his hand against his enemy, he opts to give his hand in friendship, and help guide him from the darkness.

There are problems with Shaolin, to be sure. The depiction of westerners are based on gross caricature and poorly portrayed almost to the point of offense. A 2 + hour runtime is also an issue, with the third act dragging at times.

Yet the journey of its main character to attain wisdom of mind, peace in heart, and strength in spirit make up for whatever flaws Shaolin possesses.