Review of Iron Monkey (Platinum Edition)

Introduction

`Iron Monkey, Iron Monkey, riding through the glen,
Iron Monkey, Iron Monkey, with his band of men.`

It doesn`t have the same ring to it. But then again, Robin Hood never had to deal with the Shaolin King Kong Palm, or possess the overwhelming No Shadow Kick. But the basic story is the same, a people`s champion declared outlaw by the corrupt government who steals from the rich to give to the poor. The question is which do you prefer, Lincoln Green and lethal arrows, or devastating Kung Fu delivered at inhuman pace and with uncanny skill?

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, 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…

Video

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.

Audio

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` wandered 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.

Features

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. This is accompanied by A Classic revisited, 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.

Conclusion

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 comedic 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.