Iron Monkey (1993) [PG-13]

If you are a fan of movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, and Hero, you will enjoy this movie. It was made years before Crouching and is directed by that movie's action choreographer. This movie is pretty funny, with exaggerated stock characters and great fighting scenes that foreshadow the extraordinary feats shown in the later movies.

The story is based an episode in the childhood of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung and his father and their encounter with the Iron Monkey, a Robin Hood sort of character. Iron Monkey fights a corrupt governor and helps the downtrodden. The governor wants Iron Monkey captured, which is easier said than done, as he is masked, and no one knows his name or where he is from. We learn early on that he is really the village doctor.

After futile attempts by the governor in capturing him, including arresting anyone who has anything to do with monkeys, Wong Fei-hung is kidnapped by the governor and held hostage until his father Wong Kei-ying finds and defeats the Iron Monkey.

This is a fast and furious comedy. I found the later movies to be somewhat pretentious films that took themselves a little too seriously. You won't find that here. This is a simple story, the fighting scenes are excellent and exciting, and the comedy is funny! Check out the fighting scene where everything catches on fire!

This movie is a farce, so there is romance, but nothing even R-rated, and full of fighting but somehow not really violent. I will confess that this is a period piece, with titles, but so much fun that the whole family will enjoy it once they get over these issues. A martial arts classic!

DIRECTOR: Yuen Wo Ping. CAST: Yu Rong Guang, Donnie Yen, Jean Wang, Tsang Sze Man, Yuen Shun Yi, James Wong, Yen Yee Kwan.

AWARDS: 2 nominations