Iron Monkey (1993)

In a desperate and unjust land, where government corruption rules the day, only one man has the courage to challenge the system and fight back. They call him Iron Monkey. Under the shadow of night, in the silence before dawn, he fights to give hope to the poor and the oppressed. Although no one knows his name and no one knows where he comes from, his heroism has made him a living legend to the people and a wanted man to the powers that be. Unable to capture this elusive Robin Hood through normal avenues, the ruthless government devises a plan: force a nationally renowned master fighter into service by taking his beloved and only son hostage. The mandate is simple, track down the Iron Monkey if he ever wants to see his boy again. But when the Iron Monkey's identity and true intentions are revealed to him, the tables turn, and these two great men, one known and one masked, join forces to take down the evil empire and reclaim the rights of the common people.

This movie has beautiful scenery and atmosphere. It transport me back to a place long ago and far away where life is cruel and government officials are corrupt but all is not forsaken for heroes are out there with heart of pure goodness, body of iron armor, and spirit of courage and valor. This movie made me believe in this world where human can train their body and mind to do inhuman feats like leaping onto roof tops and shattering cement blocks two feet thick. It invoked memories of my childhood dream of becoming a martial art master able to kick butt but also the restraint and pathos for helping those less fortunate. Both Dr Yang and Wong Kei-Ying plays a martial art hero that possess these traits. They are well rounded individuals that posses other admirable skills. Dr Yang for example is a highly skilled doctor, a flashy cook, and a musician. I love one of the breath taking scenery in which he was playing this Chinese instrument out in the court yard on a golden autumn day. It's very nostalgic for me for some reason. Orchid, Dr Yang's assistant is wonderful in this movie as well. She brought beauty and depth to this movie. The young Wong Fei-hung character was great as well. These wonderful characters on top of the amazing fight sequences makes this movie transcend martial art movies and rival any movies genre ever produced in terms of sheer entertainment value. I have read review about the bad/simple plot or fake wire-fu in this movie. That's not the point, the mastery of mood and texture in this movie is sheer enjoyment. How much plot can one develop in a 90 minute martial art movie?…or any movie really…it's all about the human conditions some more complex than other often recycled over and over through the years and placed in a different setting and different context. Great movies capture the human imagination and touches a spectrum of human emotions. Great movies also flow smoothly and do not go into a lull. For me this movie did that and more. Hopefully you'll want to watch it again and again like I did.

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