Review of Epic Action Collection: Box Set (Iron Monkey Platinum Edition / Wing Chun / Tai Chi Boxer)

Introduction

The Epic Action Collection certainly sounds like a case of excessive hyperbole, after all, cinema has been the home of action movies for almost a century now, there are thousands of films with bone-crunching fights, heart stopping car chases, tense gun fights and earth shattering explosions. Action means many things to many people, and filling the expectations of such audiences is probably a thankless task. On first acquaintance, this boxset`s claims of epic status sound hollow. That is until you see the name of Yuen Woo-Ping. He`s the acclaimed action director behind the most memorable scenes in recent action cinema, in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill and of course The Matrix trilogy. With the three films in this collection, Iron Monkey, Wing Chun and Tai Chi Boxer, he takes over the directorial reins to add his own unique touch. If any boxset has the chance of living up to Epic Action status, it is this one.

Iron Monkey

In a town where the poor and starving are being ground under by corrupt officials, there exists a champion who fights their cause and makes sure that injustices aren`t left unchallenged. Iron Monkey`s skills are formidable, and he regularly makes fools of the town`s guards and any vigilante who may think to profit from his capture. When he robs the town`s governor, he goes too far and the governor realises that if Iron Monkey`s thefts remain unchecked, he will lose face in the royal court. A royal inspector is due in the town soon, and Iron Monkey must be behind bars before then. Soon anything even vaguely resembling a monkey is under arrest. That includes new visitors to the town, Wong Kei-Ying and his young son Wong Fei-Hung, when the father`s formidable kung fu skills liken him to the thief. An appearance by the thief proves their innocence, but the governor decides to blackmail Kei-Ying into finding Iron Monkey by holding his son hostage. The jail isn`t a healthy place though, and Fei-Hung soon sickens, and the kindly town`s head guard takes him to Doctor Yang for treatment. But while Yang is a philanthropic doctor by day, by night he has a secret identity…

Tai Chi Boxer

A Tai Chi master announces his retirement from the world of martial arts, to set an example for his young son, and to concentrate on his family. Over the next ten years, he devotes his time to instructing Hok Man with his own unique form of discipline. His son`s braid is tied to a roof beam to keep him from dropping off during his studies. But for the grown Hok Man, a scholarly life is stifling, and he secretly studies martial arts against his father`s wishes. Besides while he may be educated in the classroom, he lacks knowledge of the wider world. It`s when he and his cousin sneak out with his father`s prize lion costume to take part in the town`s festival that he meets Rose, a breathtaking Chinese girl who has just come back with a Western education, and with ideas about freedom and democracy. Hok Man is smitten, but in his efforts to woo Rose, he will have to deal with her jealous fiancé, the authorities that wish to crack down on subversive ideas and deadly opium smugglers. Fortunately he has a unique weapon, as ten years of hanging by his queue has made his hair tougher than iron.

Wing Chun

Wing Chun is the protector of her village, fending off the marauding bandits that attempt to prey on the town. She isn`t exactly a revered heroine though, the male warriors of the town resent her skill and strength, and her father laments the fact that she isn`t feminine enough to attract a husband. She runs the town`s tofu shop with her acid tongued Auntie Fong, but they get a new employee when she rescues a pretty young girl from the bandits. Yim Neung was coming to the village to find her ailing husband a healer, but needed rescuing once more when she was widowed and unable to pay for the funeral. There`s a scholarly businessmen who pays attention to the new arrival, and he winds up competing for her attentions with Leung Pak To, a visitor to the village who has come looking for childhood playmate Wing Chun. It`s a case of mistaken identity though, as he takes the pretty Neung for Wing Chun, while getting jealous when he sees her spending time with another man (the real Wing Chun in male garb). All this gender bending farce pales into the background when the bandits tire of being made fools of by Wing Chun and plot their revenge.

Video

Iron Monkey

Iron Monkey gets a brilliant transfer from Hong Kong Legends. The remastered 1.85:1 anamorphic picture is clear and colourful, as well as sharp as crystal throughout. A minor spot of print damage here and there does little to mar the excellent clarity of this film. Iron Monkey has some nice sets that contribute greatly to the feel of the film, with a closed in feel that gives the story added pace and tension.

Tai Chi Boxer

The image is clear and sharp throughout, and the colours in this 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer are strong and vivid. Print damage is minimal, there`s just a hint of grain, and perhaps the only thing that I really noticed was a flicker in a couple of frames. This is a film that has aged well, and looks fine today.

Wing Chun

Another spruced up transfer looking fine from Hong Kong Legends. The 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is a little grainy and soft at times, but it is clear and colourful throughout, and the film is set in some spectacular scenery that looks splendid on screen.

Audio

Iron Monkey

You get a wide choice of soundtracks with Iron Monkey, DD 5.1 English and Cantonese, as well as DTS 6.1 Cantonese. Subtitles are provided in translated English or Dutch. I noticed one solitary error in the subtitles, where a stray `kung fu` strayed into one of the captions. As usual, I feel that the Cantonese language track is the way to go, and this is one of HKL`s better efforts. The film is hampered slightly by a synth-laden score, and the dialogue may be firmly relegated to the front speakers, but the surrounds get a good workout with the action sequences sounding dynamic and effective.

Tai Chi Boxer

You get a choice between DD 5.1 English or Cantonese, and my own aversion to non-original language dubs led me to choose the Cantonese track. The dialogue is clear, and the action comes across well, with plenty of impact with the fight sequences. However it is firmly front focussed, and the odd moment that the surrounds are called into use, for an ominous rumble of thunder for instant, actually come as a surprise and actually seem out of place. Subtitles are available in English and Dutch, and the English subtitles are translations of the Cantonese dialogue rather than mirroring the English dub.

Wing Chun

You get a choice between DD 5.1 English and Cantonese, but the sound rarely engages the surround senses. It`s all very front-focussed, with maybe a touch of ambience to give it a presence. The action comes through with typical meaty explosiveness, but I did feel that the dialogue was subdued at times. As usual I opted for the Cantonese soundtrack, but what little I sampled of the English dub was less stellar, with the voice actress dubbing Wing Chun sounding distorted. It may have just been that one scene though. Subtitles are provided with translated English and Dutch subtitles.

Features

Iron Monkey

This being a Platinum Edition, we get two discs of Iron Monkey goodness, complete with Hong Kong Legends` trademark animated menus.

Disc 1 contains the usual further attractions, trailers and information for further Hong Kong Legends and Premier Asia releases.

You will also find another jam-packed commentary from Hong Kong movies guru Bey Logan, here joined by Iron Monkey star Donnie Yen. Will Donnie get a word in edgeways? Listen and find out. A Classic Revisited accompanies this, a 21-minute film where you can see Bey and Donnie lay down the commentary track as they watch key scenes from the film.

Disc 2 contains the remaining goodies.

The Interview Gallery contains four featurettes, beginning with a 25-minute interview with producer Tsui Hark, who talks about the Wong Fei-Hung saga, from Once Upon A Time In China to Iron Monkey. Actor Yu Rong-Kwong talks about his career and his role as the eponymous simian over 27 minutes. Li Fai who played the witch in Iron Monkey is interviewed over 25 minutes, and Tsang Sze-man, the actress who played the role of the young Wong Fei-Hung talks about her experiences for 20 minutes.

The Promotional Archive contains a 3-minute slideshow that shows the promotional artwork used to advertise the film, as well as four trailers.

Featurettes includes 20 minutes of Donnie Yen in A Dragon Re-born, where he talks about the film and his role. Iron Fist lasts 16 minutes and Yuen Cheung-yan talks about the films action and direction. Shadow Boxing (8 minutes) allows a chance to see the creation of kung fu action sequences courtesy of stuntman Alex Yip, and Floorshow lasts a total of 16 minutes, and offers footage of Tsang Sze-man and Li Fai competing in the 2003 Wu Shu championships in Macao.

Finally the Information Library offers production notes for Iron Monkey, as well as detailed filmographies for Donnie Yen, Yu Rong-Kwong, Tsui Hark and Yuen Woo Ping.

All the featurettes that are presented in Cantonese or Mandarin are subtitled, but the English language footage lacks subtitles.

Tai Chi Boxer

Tai Chi Boxer gets the full HKL treatment, with animated menus and extras galore. You get the usual section advertising other HKL titles, as well as the theatrical trailers for Tai Chi Boxer. There are photo galleries, one for actress Christy Chung and another with behind the scenes stills. There is a behind the scenes montage with about 2 minutes of b-roll footage and two interviews. The first is with Christy Chung and lasts 23 minutes. It`s an enjoyable and entertaining watch as she talks about her role in Tai Chi Boxer and other films, as well as the people she has worked with. The second is with Darren Shahlavi, the villain of Tai Chi Boxer, and over 41 minutes he talks about the experience of making the film. Finally there is the ubiquitous Bey Logan commentary.

Wing Chun

This is a typical disc from Hong Kong Legends, beginning with the wonderfully animated menus. There are trailers and information pages for other releases from HKL and Premier Asia as usual, the trailers for Wing Chun, and the usual interviews. You can see actor Donnie Yen talk about the film for 15 minutes, while Tsui Siu-Keung, who played the villain, discusses his career and the film for 18 minutes. Finally, no HKL disc would be complete without a Bey Logan commentary, and he is as relentless as usual here, providing an avalanche of information.

Conclusion

Iron Monkey

Iron Monkey is a sweet little movie that has a little of everything, all packaged in 86 minutes of sheer fun entertainment. That there is action is a given, with brilliantly choreographed and executed fight sequences throughout. There`s plenty of comedy too, with a deftly applied light touch and some entertaining characters. There are some nice relationships too, with a father`s affection for his son, the understated romance between Dr Yang and his companion and assistant Orchid. The cinematography is wonderful, with some beautifully staged scenes. There is a scenery-chewing villain of the worst order, aided and abetted by some memorable henchmen. Finally there is the absolutely stunning climax, a no holds barred three-way showdown, perched precariously atop vertical posts while all the while fire blazes underfoot.

It is a Robin Hood, champion of the people tale, given a purely kung fu makeover, and the action is stunning from the outset. It starts out with a light tone, with the rather comical and corrupt town governor plagued by the thief, despite his chief guard`s best efforts to capture the miscreant. As the story progresses it becomes more serious and even a tad dark, but this is so cleverly accomplished that you don`t realise it happening. With each serious step there is a corresponding moment of hilarity to offset it. By the time the film concludes, the humour is mostly absent, but you`d be hard pressed to realise just how the film got to that point. It also took the featurettes to inform me of how ingrained in folklore these legends are, with the significance of the Wong Fei-Hung character passing me by. The beauty is that you don`t need any of the back-story to enjoy the film. It stands as a piece of entertainment on its own.

The film has a timelessness that is down to its subject matter. It`s easy to enjoy the adventures of a hero who fights corruption in all its forms and upholds the rights of the poor and downtrodden. Iron Monkey manages this with wit, humour and a good deal of style. Wire fu at its best.

Tai Chi Boxer

Tai Chi Boxer is a great deal of fun, plenty of action and comedy with perhaps the most absurd if original use of a weapon I have seen in quite a while, with Hok Man`s queue almost exhibiting its own character, on occasion even twitching with vexation. The story is a simple one that has been repeated down the ages, that of boy meets girl, falls in love, has to win her heart through the judicious use of kung fu, defeating various enemies along the way. It`s almost timeless.

Tai Chi Boxer`s period setting certainly gives it an added attraction, with social commentary from the introduction of democracy as an idea to a totalitarian state, the corruption of the weak-minded by those evil foreign devils, here the pesky British East India company and their addictive opium, as well as the clash of generations as father and son find plenty to disagree about. It makes a pretty background to frame the action against, and the action is here in great quantity, with brilliantly choreographed and over the top fights. There`s plenty of wirework and bone-crushing combat, intermixed with comedy of the utmost timing and precision.

The film is made all the more enjoyable by the performances, Jacky Wu as Hok Man makes for a charismatic lead, quick to flash a mischievous grin as he plans his next exploit. His relationship with his parents adds greatly to the comedy, as he wilfully defies his father, all the time complicit with his mother as he enlists her aid to woo Rose. Christy Chung plays Rose and she has definite chemistry with Jacky. She`s more than just the standard damsel in distress and it is fun to watch their screen relationship develop. Darren Shahlavi makes for an interesting if rather generic villain. He serves his purpose as providing the menace required to motivate our heroes.

Tai Chi Boxer is simple entertainment, guaranteed to brighten the mood with its 90 minutes of comedy and action. What else can you ask for?

Wing Chun

Wing Chun is an entertaining action comedy, with the emphasis firmly on comedy. The action is fast, frenetic and stunningly choreographed. The fight sequences feature plenty of wirework and accelerated implausibility, but work well in the lighter context of the film. It all has a humorous tone that never gets diminished by anything approaching a serious plot.

The characters contribute much to the film, with Michelle Yeoh supremely elegant as Wing Chun. The comic side of things is supplied by Scholar Wong, whose attempts to find a bride lead to much hilarity, as well as Auntie Fong who is completely lacking in tact, although possessing much halitosis. The comedy is very much part of that traditional farce that comes from mistaken identity, confused gender and relationship awkwardness. The action comes with a lot of comedy too, with various tests for Wing Chun, from within the village as well as the constant threat of the bandits.

But this is not a film that revels in the breaking of bones or copious bloodshed, and the fight sequences are kept light and relatively consequence free. In fact the only one who comes away with any permanent damage is the poor bandit Flying Monkey, who brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Great Balls Of Fire!" Wing Chun is a classic tale of a tomboy makes good and finds her dream guy. It`s Calamity Jane Kung Fu. It`s a great deal of fun, if just a tad silly, and as ninety minutes of thought-free entertainment it is simple to recommend.

Three action packed and entertaining films from the master of action are presented in a boxset with Hong Kong Legends` usual attention to detail. The picture quality on all three films is excellent, the sound is good, and all the films come with a decent selection of extras. I have to give in to the temptation to compare these to the Matrix films, the films that made Yuen Woo-Ping`s name in the west. Just like the Matrix films these three films have absolutely stunning action, visual dynamism that will burn its way onto your retinas leaving your jaw hanging wide open in awe. The kung fu is actually miles better than anything the Matrix films could achieve. However, there is none of the CGI eye candy that dominates the Matrix sequels, there is none of the cod philosophy, no weighty exposition, and never the temptation to look at your watch. These films have all the action goodness of the Matrix, but with spontaneity, fun, a healthy dose of comedy, likeable characters and simple but effective stories. I can tell you which boxset will be getting more plays in this house. And at the price that this boxset is available, there is no reason that more people shouldn`t take advantage of these three enjoyable films.