Production Year: 1977 - Martial Arts - Director: Chen Kwan Tai - Original Language: Cantonese\Chinese - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Chen Kwan Tai, Kam Kong, Chi Kuan Chun, Wilson Tong, Kuan Tai Chen, Leung Kar-Yan more
Yuen Woo-Ping's exhilarating martial arts film stars Yu Rong Guang as Dr. Yang, a kind family doctor who charitably provides medicine and care to impoverished villagers, along with... more
Iron Monkey 2
Hong Kong martial arts icon Donnie Yen (Hero, Iron Monkey, Shanghai Knights) stars in the ... more
sequel to the immensely popular Iron Monkey, set a hundred years after the first film.Kim, a kung-fu student, arrives in a gang-ridden town in search of his father, a freedom fighter who was blinded by gang-leader Jade Tiger. Soon after this arrival, Kim discovers that a number of people are yearning to end Jade Tiger's reign of terror, including the elusive martial arts hero Iron Monkey (Yen).When a shady arms dealer arrives with a shipment of advanced weapons everyone wants, the stage is set for inspired martial arts confrontations brilliantly choreographed by Won Ping Yuen, whose work on The Matrix and Kill Bill has wowed Western audiences.
Production Year: 1971 - Martial Arts - Director: Lo Wei - Original Language: Cantonese - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien
Production Year: 1981 - Martial Arts - Director: Kenji Misumi, Robert Houston - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ohki, Akiji Kobayashi, Shin Kishida, Masahiro Tomikawa, Tomisaburo Wakayama
A review by wampyrii on The Iron Monkey (DVD) March 19th, 2002
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Very ordinary
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
see review
Disadvantages:
see review
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
If you are like me and your knowledge of martial arts movies extends to something along the lines of "well there's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and umm didn't Bruce Lee do some once..." then you'll never have heard of Iron Monkey - nor will you have had any interest in checking it out. You will however be missing one of the most entertaining movies released in recent years which I'm sure you will agree is something ofa shame. It was originally released in 1993, straight to video but has recently made a reappearance thatnks to the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a movie which director Yeun Wo Ping did the choreography for - a fact which will come as no surprise at all after a few minutes of watching Iron Monkey. For martial arts fans that alone ought to be enough of an incentive to watch - for the rest of us who like action movies know also that his work can also be seen on The Matrix and rest assured that this adrenaline fueled kung-fu fest is more than enough to keep you glued to your tv. Its not brilliant in terms of plot, hilariously bad in terms of scripting but this is more than made up for by the superb action sequences. Buy this video for pure entertainment value and you'll love every second of it.
The plot is weak, they invariably are. The story opens in the province of Zhejiang, a province ruled by a corrupt governer who is spending his time in office stockpiling food meant for the people so tjhat he can sell it at inflated prices for a huge profit. The people are starving but fortunately there is help at hand from a seemingly invincible Robin Hood type figure known as the Iron Monkey - a vigilante who carries out daring raids upon the governors buildings, taking back that what he has stolen from the people and sharing it out amongst the needy. The Iron Monkey's martial arts abilities are awesomeand no one has yet been able to come close to matching him in combat to the point where the governer is getting desperate. He orders a crack down on anyone at all who could possibly be his nemesis - his guards arresting a street artist with a monkey, a performer showing off his martial arts skills...a guy selling monkey poo(?!)...and a traveller called Wong Kei-ying and his 10-year old son Wong Fei-hong after they go mediavel on some thieves. Naturally upon hearing that innocent people have been imprisoned for his actions the Iron Monkey turns up to free them but Wong Kei-ying(being from out of town) thinks he is nothing but a common thief and being a fighter of much reknown himself fights him off, promising to bring him to justice if the governor will free his son...
...which is how the movie sets up the plot in the opening 10-15 minutes and you'll just have to watch to see the rest. Expect though not too much more in the way of plotting other than the arrival of a bunch of corrupt Shaolin monks and the rest is just action, action and more action - great stuff. If you watch a lot of these types of movies then you might recognise the name of Wong Fei-hong as being that of a folk lore hero seen in other movies by this director such as Once Upon A Time in China and Drunken Master - Iron Monkey continuing his attempts to revive this figure although here most of that action is given to his father Wong Kei-ying and of course the Iron Monkey himself. Played by female martial arts champion Tsang Tse-man, the best scene in the movie is reserved for him though where he(she) fights off a gang of local bullies. Its an interesting casting decision(girl playing a boy) but not one which was done simply to be controversial.
Forget the script, its awful to the point where I would probably recommend that you check out the undubbed version over the dubbed or subtitled version. I saw the dubbed version and the dubbing as just as awful as the kind of dubbed martial arts movies that have become the brunt of jokes for many years - willowy oriental characters talking in deep macho ultra-American voices does nothing for any movie and certainly doesn't add credibilty to an already lame script. Characters announce their moves before they use them with bass cries of "Shaolin Golden Palm!" or "Shadow Kick of the Ancients!" or umm "Flying Sleeves!" and the attempts at humorous exchanges are funny only because of how clumsy and inept the are. Of course, if you like this kind of movie then you'll be used to it, or it'll be one of their many charms...personally it made me giggle as it always does, but this time I totally let it slide because the action scenes are such fun.
One thing that did stand out here for me was the acting which is actually superb...from the principal characters. Putting aside their awsome skills as martial artists for one second(aided by flawless wire-work of course) all of them bring a warm and total credibility to their roles. Wonk Kei-ying must balance the twin burdens of being a warrior with that of a loving father - two sides which often clash unresolvedly and he carries off to perfection. The use of Tsang Tse-man then becomes much clearer because putting a girl in this role affects a much softer performance and draws out much more emotions from both these characters which is highly effective. Yu Rong-guang balances his role of caring physician alter ego Dr. Wang against that of deadly martial artist Iron Monkey, switching between the two seamlessly, whilst Jean Wang who plays his assistant Orchid is equally faultless in her role. The acting is actually top notch which surprised me no end I have to admit. Ummm...the acting of the 4 principal characters is top notch anyway, because the rest are all comedic figures and charicatures - their clumsiness and naff acting actually(and no doubt intentionally) highlighting the grace and nobility of the good characters in the plot. Its seems bizarre to say that cr*p acting actually helps a movie - but it helps this one in some strange way!
The main focus of this movie though is action. Its almost non-stop, and its awesome. The martial arts on display here is smply mindblowing, aided and abetted of course by a little(or a lot) of wire-work at times, although you wouldn't know it to look at it. I'll not spoil the scenes by talking of them beforehand, but expect a range of fisticuffs experiences as well as fighting with swords, staffs and just about anykind of random piece of furniture, all beautifully choreographed and executed to perfection. This may not look and feel quite so polished as Crouching Tiger or The Matrix, but it more than makes up for it in terms of raw energy and sheer exhuberance. Its breth-taking stuff trust me, which has lead many to talk of this as being well up in the top ten greatest martial arts movies ever made. Leaves you wondering why you have never heard of it before doesn't it...
Its difficult to know whether or not to recommend a movie such as this or not. If you like martial arts movies then no doubt it has already raised some interest already, if not then you'll be understandably more dubious. I can't say I am a fan of the genre but I fancied something full of action and someone told me this had Jet Li in at so I gave it a try and loved it. No Jet Li of course(can't rely on some people!) but a superb movies nonetheless - in fact, perhaps better than if he were in it, these are certainly more talented actors anyway. I suppose he bottom line is that if you are looking for an incredibly entertaining action movie then this is one of the finest examples you are going to come across. No big explosions and such like, but the kind of fight sequences and physical stunt set-pieces which leave you gawping pen-mouthed in amazement instead...and a dollop of humour thrown in for good measure as well. I can't recommend it highly enough - and that come from someone who is NOT a huge fan of the genre. Great stuff!
Note:
Its very easy to get this kind of movie confused with others from the East which go by the same name. This version of Iron Monkey is not to be confused with a 1977 movie which also goes by the name of Iron Monkey in the West(or "Ti Ma Liu" / "Bloody Monkey Master") but if you see some of these titles below then its the movie you ARE looking for:
"The Iron Monkey"
"Siunin Wong Fei-hung tsi titmalau"
"Iron Monkey (2001)"
"Iron Monkey: The Young Wong Fei Hong (1993)"
"Shao nian Huang Fei-Hong zhi tie ma liu (1993)" (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Wouldn't it be nice if we just had one title and stuck to it...
Advantages: Action, Kung Fu, Disadvantages: It only about 90 minutes
...but seemed to sneak into the shelves in hmv and the local blockblusters. So it never really had a chance to prevail unlike 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'
So what’s the story?
The story takes place in a poor Chinese province in the 1800s, where penniless refugees struggle to get by while the corrupt Governor keeps himself in luxury with all the food, money and supplies there are. A masked ninja-style vigilante, nicknamed "The Iron Monkey" (Rongguang ... ...rich, giving to the poor and leaving drawings of cartoon chimps with moral advice I.e "Don't be greedy!" as calling cards. And yes he is just like a Chinese Robin Hood but wears black instead off green. The governor is comically inept but not-quite-as-corrupt as the head of security, Chief Fox, who has the duty off unmasking and arresting the troublesome hero. Order needs to be restored, because the province is due for inspection by some "government ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great fight sequences, great sets Disadvantages: naff dubbing, if not got in original format
...opinion, it is one of the best martial arts films ever made! (But I’ve never heard of it I hear you say) OK it is the best, most understated martial arts movie of all time. It’s hip at the moment to have Yuen Woo Ping as your action director or even fight co-ordinator, but is a “proper” director in his own right, and a damn good one too.
The story is a Robin Hood type story, based in myths and legends of the late Ching dynasty. ... ...the community by day and then the Iron Monkey my night, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. A travelling physician, Wong Kei-Ying is convinced to help capture the “Iron Monkey”, after his son is imprisoned by the corrupt Local Governor. This leads to fantastic and some-what elaborate fight sequences, which all have the inevitable Woo-Ping touch. (As seen in Matrix, Charles Angels and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
The town ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: great actions scenes; funny Disadvantages: unrealistic
On the rare occasion that I get home at the crack of dawn, I find myself living the cliche 'too tired to go to bed'. With your mind refusing work or sleep, and somehow keeping you in a limbo of half wakefulness, there are only a couple of things you can do in my humble abode. First one is flipping to pirated playboy and watching Julie Ashton in one of her weird home made porn flicks. The other and definitely more preferred thing to do is to have ... ...find out what happens at the end.
Set 100-200 years ago in China, the Iron Monkey is the Honk Kong version of Robin Hood, and unlike all other Robins, this guy does not speak with an English accent. He speaks Chinese. He is a Chinese d00d dressed up like a Japanese Ninja who stalks a very poor town at night, stealing from the rich and feeding the hungry. The fight scenes are highly unrealistic and humorous, yet they are much too much fun to watch. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to ...
very helpful
16.03.2004
monkeying about Review ofThe Iron Monkey (DVD)by
manwithnoname
Advantages: Great fight scenes Disadvantages: Jokes may be lost in the translation
This is one of the best kung fu movies I’ve seen. It has plenty of action, and humour. Although for those who do not understand Cantonese or who have not seen the “Once Upon A Time In China” movies, some of the jokes may be lost. This is sort of a pre-quel to it. Since it is about a younger version of the main character in the “OUATIC” movies and shows how he got his personality (i.e straight laced and no-nonesense) ... ...giving away too much of the plot away, the movie is about evil government officials in ancient China who are after the "Iron Monkey" of the title for robbing them off their riches and giving the cash to the poor. It shows how the main charactors inadventently band together to overthrow said badies.
Some may complain about the lack of a plot, but that is not what martial arts movies are about. Just sit back and enjoy. It is also best to get the subtitled ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Excellent fighting, great story. Thoroughly enjoyable. Disadvantages: Special effects sometimes a bit over the top
...IronMonkey is a fantastic film which follows the story of the IronMonkey a Robin Hood type character. Local doctor by day and stopper of wrong do-ers contributing his spoils to the poor by night. The town in which he lives is run by a corrupt governor who exploits the poor. IronMonkey is unstoppable because of his supreme fighting skills but a man (Donny Yeung) and his arrive in the town and he proves to be IronMonkey's equal. The man and his son get entangled in IronMonkey governor situation - the son kicks some ass and gets some ass kicked. Some rebel Shaolin monks and a disgraced Abbot also get wound into the story and it sets a stage for an IronMonkey, Donny Yeung vs. the rebel Shaoliners show down.
The fighting throughout the film is exceptionally good - IronMonkey and Donny are fantastic together. The little kid is...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
...What an incredible martial arts adventure! Simply put, this is one of the best action movies I have ever seen, with furiously breathtaking action choreography, great characters, and a nice, lighthearted sense of humor. Dr. Yang (Yu Rong Guang) moonlights as the "IronMonkey" a Robin Hood-type hero who steals from the rich (and corrupt), and gives to the people in need. His nemesis is the power-hungry Governor Cheng (James Wong) of the city of Chekiang. This man is so greedy, he is married to nine wives! Cheng assigns a traveling physician named Wong Kei-Hung (Donnie Yen) to apprehend the IronMonkey. If he fails to do so, the governor will take Kei-Hung's son, Wong Fei-Hung (Tsang Sze Man, an actress playing a male) as prisoner.
IronMonkey is a wonderful film, full of exhilarating energy and impressive martial arts...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Yuen Woo-Ping's exhilarating martial arts film stars Yu Rong Guang as Dr. Yang, a kind family doctor who charitably provides medicine and care to impoverished villagers, along with his assistant, Orchid (the lovely Jean Wang). Yang, however, also masquerades as the crime-fighting Iron Monkey, who robs gold from the rich and gives to it the poor, much to the dismay of the corrupt local governor (James Wong). When famed fighter and physician Wong Kei-Ying (Donnie Yen) and his young son, Wong Fei-Hung (crossdressed actress Tsang Sze-Man), wander into town, the cowardly ruler captures the boy and pits his father against the elusive Iron Monkey. Eventually, the heroes must unite to face an even greater foe--a renegade Shaolin master (Yen Yee Kwan) and his treacherous lackeys. This Chinese variation on the legend of Robin Hood is a good-natured (and often funny) action movie that features numerous outstanding fight scenes (including a battle fought on poles over a raging fire) and a surprising amount of cooking (yes, cooking). The film is the prequel to Tsui Hark's ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA series, which follows the adventures of folk hero Wong Fei-Hung as an adult. IRON MONKEY is particularly revelatory due to the amazing action sequences directed by Woo-Ping, who went on to choreograph the intricate fights of THE MATRIX and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
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