Iron Monkey

Pros: ...
Cons: ...

Yuen Woo-ping is quite possibly the best fight choreographer in the history of martial arts cinema. His amazing talents can be seen in everything from Tsui Harks epic Once Upon a Time in China series, through to ...

Pros: Incredible choreography, A credible fable/story, and humor
Cons: I don't speak Chinese, alas!

This martial arts movie is a visual treat, with all the right elements for first rate entertainment. First, there is the choreography by the same fellow who did the Oscar Winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , brilliantly filmed, and...

Pros: Features some of the most furiously gripping fight scenes you'll ever see.
Cons: Plot? What plot? Who the hell cares about plot?

When Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was released last year, American critics hailed it as “the greatest martial arts movie ever.” After seeing Ang Lee’s film though, many Asian cinephiles like myself responded blank-faced. People like me...

Pros: Action Packed,and Funny at times
Cons: Chinese to English translation makes the movie sound corny.

I had the joy watching The Iron Monkey last night on dvd. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I did know that it would be similar to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. What I got was an action packed Kung Fu movie with lots of laughs. I know that...

Pros: great actions scenes; funny
Cons: 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...

Pros: Superb, gravity-defying action. Adequate plot, humorous moments.
Cons: Plot, character development and cinematography not as rich as CTHD.

After falling in love with Crouching Tiger, I asked other fans on a message board what movies would they recommend in the same genre. From the many responses, Iron Monkey was one that got repeated endorsements. I ran to Blockbuster, then Hollywood Video...

Pros: Superior action scenes, interesting story and characters.
Cons: References to Chinese history and other genre films Western audiences may not understand.

If you'd told me a two years ago that I'd one day soon be sitting in an American movie theater experiencing a subtitled wide-release of Yuen Wo Ping's 1993 action masterpiece "Iron Monkey," I'd have called you delirious. That, of course, would have been...

Pros: Fun Story, Humorous and the best action sequences ever in American Theatres
Cons: Illiterates will have trouble reading subtitles, is somewhat controversial

Our country is quite the ethnocentric type. We are the best in everything.

Of course, I'm not here to give you American patriotism, but criticism. Not in a serious way of course, but in our flawed theatrical entertainment.
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Pros: It’s just as engaging as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. It doesn't need the slow motion.
Cons: If not for the later flick, this would one would never be seen by Americans.

Until maybe 2002, when I first watched this little gem, I had no idea that it even existed. There’s no doubt that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and all its fanciful martial-arts action and insanely beautiful imagery opened up people’s eyes to ...

Pros: Yuen Woo-Ping's choreography; Donnie Yen
Cons: Those expecting "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" may be disappointed

Yuen Woo-Ping's "Iron Monkey," is about to released on the big screen in the United States (it is scheduled to open on October 12, 2001). Although the film's U.S. advertising makes it sound as though it is the latest work from Yuen (the choreographer of...

Pros: Action, action, and more action, with a solid story underneath it all.
Cons: Wuxia films are still a niche market stateside, despite Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Success.

It must be noted at the beginning of my review that despite his loud protestation to the contrary, even despite his name being spliced in to the opening credits, Quentin Tarantino had nothing to do with bringing this movie to the United States. He may...

Pros: The best hand to hand combat of any style ever recorded on film.
Cons: Subtitles could be better written and more in sync with dialog.

Think of a slow, romantic, English film - one that people use words like lyrical and poetic to describe. Now think of the opposite extreme. Now double it. You are now approaching Iron Monkey.

There have been non-stop action films before but...

Pros: Outstanding martial arts...
Cons: ...Are hampered by stagey sets and bad acting.

“Iron Monkey”, made in 1993, has just been released in the United States, in large part due to the success of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.

The Iron Monkey, a hooded figure, is protecting the weak and innocent of a small village in China...

Pros: Action, humor, story.
Cons: None.

BUT YOU'RE NOT A VIRGIN"

That is one of the many classic lines you will "experience" when viewing this movie.

I really liked "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" being the martial arts enthusiast that I am, but this was...

Pros: Possibly the best fighting scenes captured on screen to date!
Cons: The subtitles and furious editing can be very distracting at times.

To call Martial Arts films formulaic is to state the obvious. And such observations almost always miss the point. It's a foregone conclusion that many viewers will gripe about Iron Monkey's plot. I've heard words like "trite", "non-existent",...