Like a page right out of the 60's `Batman and Robin' series, the masked vigilante Iron Monkey, possessing the modus operandi of Batman and the heart of Robin Hood, is the champion of justice in a small town in 19th century China. Like Batman, he has a dual identity, battling evil and corruption at night while masquerading as a law-abiding citizen by day, he has a bag full of gimmicks, and he has a sidekick.
In this episode/movie of the exciting adventures of the eastern Dark Knight and Miss Orchid, the Girl Wonder, corrupted town governor Cheng, the Sheriff of Nottingham', with his assistant Chief Fox, a homage to Chief O'Hara, called upon a visiting pugilist warrior and his much-more-famous partner/son (think Green Hornet and Kato) to capture the Dark Knight. Just when the home hero and his visiting counterpart are about to clash in grand spectacle, they joined forces against an evil threat in the form of a renegade Shaolin monk.
It does not take a genius to realize that this is no `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', and the differences do not stop with the action scenes. While `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' is a magnificent work in many respects, `Iron Monkey' is not. Aside from the action scenes, there is nothing of substance about the film. Direction and cinematography are lackluster. The storyline is grossly thin, as well as far-fetched and unbelivable. It is unrealistic to think that a pre-teen kid can not only fight but also be able to beat up adults single-handedly; or a villainous monk ascending to a government position despite his checkered past and current ignoble accomplishments, without any opposition whatsoever. Adding to the negatives is bad dubbing. The characters are often heard speaking without moving their lips. Horrible editing of sound and picture only makes matters worse.
Yet the only gold mine of this movie, which makes it entertaining despite its many flaws, is the action sequences. They are abundant in quality and quantity. This undoubtedly establishes the standard in which all martial arts films will be judged, which American martial arts action flicks should follow but do not. American martial arts films rely on machismo and natural charisma of the actors to carry the film, an approach that often dies of boredom especially since their fight scenes are frequently one-sided. Chinese martial arts films have breathtaking fight choreographies that emphasize on creativity and improvisation, so even if the same style is utilized the approach makes it look fresh and original. Besides the actors' expressing themselves beautifully in their own unique martial arts background, their repertoire of weapons include ladders, umbrellas, chains, metal balls, wooden benches and flaming bamboo poles (you have to see it to believe it!). Not only do all of the main characters participated in the fighting, they were also defined by their own styles on-screen: Iron Monkey being acrobatically-inclined; the Girl Wonder dancing her movements like a ballerina; Green Hornet' excessive use of his legs including drawing an arc with the tip of his toes as a pre-fight stance; Kato's cockiness and use of bamboo pole; and the Villain being hands and claws for the most part.
One can fault an action film for its lack of everything else, but `Iron Monkey' does put films of van Damme and Rothrock's to shame, or to the level of slow-motion tai-ji, or better yet to oblivion. Definitely enjoyable, even if its only for the fight sequences.
Spellcaster's Level 6
In this episode/movie of the exciting adventures of the eastern Dark Knight and Miss Orchid, the Girl Wonder, corrupted town governor Cheng, the Sheriff of Nottingham', with his assistant Chief Fox, a homage to Chief O'Hara, called upon a visiting pugilist warrior and his much-more-famous partner/son (think Green Hornet and Kato) to capture the Dark Knight. Just when the home hero and his visiting counterpart are about to clash in grand spectacle, they joined forces against an evil threat in the form of a renegade Shaolin monk.
It does not take a genius to realize that this is no `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', and the differences do not stop with the action scenes. While `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' is a magnificent work in many respects, `Iron Monkey' is not. Aside from the action scenes, there is nothing of substance about the film. Direction and cinematography are lackluster. The storyline is grossly thin, as well as far-fetched and unbelivable. It is unrealistic to think that a pre-teen kid can not only fight but also be able to beat up adults single-handedly; or a villainous monk ascending to a government position despite his checkered past and current ignoble accomplishments, without any opposition whatsoever. Adding to the negatives is bad dubbing. The characters are often heard speaking without moving their lips. Horrible editing of sound and picture only makes matters worse.
Yet the only gold mine of this movie, which makes it entertaining despite its many flaws, is the action sequences. They are abundant in quality and quantity. This undoubtedly establishes the standard in which all martial arts films will be judged, which American martial arts action flicks should follow but do not. American martial arts films rely on machismo and natural charisma of the actors to carry the film, an approach that often dies of boredom especially since their fight scenes are frequently one-sided. Chinese martial arts films have breathtaking fight choreographies that emphasize on creativity and improvisation, so even if the same style is utilized the approach makes it look fresh and original. Besides the actors' expressing themselves beautifully in their own unique martial arts background, their repertoire of weapons include ladders, umbrellas, chains, metal balls, wooden benches and flaming bamboo poles (you have to see it to believe it!). Not only do all of the main characters participated in the fighting, they were also defined by their own styles on-screen: Iron Monkey being acrobatically-inclined; the Girl Wonder dancing her movements like a ballerina; Green Hornet' excessive use of his legs including drawing an arc with the tip of his toes as a pre-fight stance; Kato's cockiness and use of bamboo pole; and the Villain being hands and claws for the most part.
One can fault an action film for its lack of everything else, but `Iron Monkey' does put films of van Damme and Rothrock's to shame, or to the level of slow-motion tai-ji, or better yet to oblivion. Definitely enjoyable, even if its only for the fight sequences.
Spellcaster's Level 6