Tie hou zi

THE IRON MONKEY is a vehicle for Shaw Brothers star Chen Kuan Tai, the actor well known for his villainous performances in the likes of CRIPPLED AVENGERS and his later appearances in Triad movies. In it, he plays an exile who witnesses the execution of his family before fleeing into the woods and becoming something of a beggar. Later, he turns up at a Shaolin temple and pleads sanctuary, finding himself training in the mystic arts of monkey-style kung fu before going on a rampage of revenge.

This film was made while Kuan Tai was still under contract to the Shaw Brothers studio so he must have filmed it on the side in Taiwan. It looks a little cheap in places but generally provides solid entertainment, and it's a big help that the fight scenes are well-shot and relatively exciting. The opening sequence in which a monkey battles an eagle is quite memorable although the famed monkey style doesn't really come into it until the climax. Kuan Tai's version of the form isn't as showy as that of some other actors but it's definitely hard-hitting.

I've always liked Kuan Tai as an actor, even in his bad guy roles, so it was a pleasure to see him as the imposing hero here. The film is the usual mix of fight footage and training, with the villains getting away with everything until the final half an hour. The last 30 minutes provides an odyssey of fight action, building to a violent end fight in which the monkey style comes to the fore. It's solid stuff. Ka-Yan Leung (aka 'Beardy') stars in support as one of the bad guys and gets to battle our hero in one frenetic scene.

Iron Monkey is one of the best Kung Fu Movies ever made. Straight to the point plot and storyline. The movie has it all. Chin Kwan Tai's portrayal of the "monkey style" is the best I've ever seen in a movie (Monkey style in the 7 Grandmasters is also good) and I've seen all of the great Kung Fu Movies. Of all the "Teachers" in Kung Fu movies, Iron Monkey's teacher the "Bitter Monk" is also the best, he has a certain mystic quality about him. Superb training sequences are shown in mastering the monkey style with the Bitter Monk.. Also the background music flows with the movie excellently. All the elements of a great Kung Fu Movie are here: Shaolin Temple, Monks, great villians portrayed by the master of Eagle's Claw. The opening scene which shows the Monkey Fist and Eagle Claw techniques is top notch. Sound effects of the fighting scenes are also up to par. Some actors in Kung Fu movies don't fit the character they play, not here. Chin Kwan Tai seems tailored to play the role in this movie as Iron Monkey. Kung Fu dedication, words of wisdom and discipline are all theme's throughout Iron Monkey. There is one scene in the movie where a Head monk in Shaolin Temple can sense the presence of revenge and anger in Iron Monkey just by looking deeply in his eyes; he knows its for revenge and tells him of "his bloody debt to settle". Only after seeking this revenge can he be a monk in Shaolin Temple. Iron Monkey ranks right with director Chang Cheh's "Kid with the Golden Arms" and "Unbeatable Dragon" as one of the best Kung Fu movies of all time. 9/10 on the scale.

There's a decided brusqueness in the editing and storytelling that makes for a somewhat choppy viewing experience, with movement between scenes and beats (and even points in time) that's far less than smooth, and therefore less than fully convincing. It's gratifying that there is at least a complete, cohesive, compelling story told, which is more than can be said of some lesser contemporary martial arts flicks. Set this aside, and in 'Iron Monkey' we see facets common to most all such fare: a period setting, brought to bear with gorgeous sets and costume design; pronounced sound effects, exaggerating blows or even just movement; dubbing in the widely available version that's questionable at best; direction that accentuates spectacle where possible - and, of course, excellent stunts and action sequences. There is perhaps less emphasis here on fight scenes than in similar titles, surely making it a tad less appealing when that's what we come here for in the first place, but those that we do get (almost entirely in the last act) are fantastic, and worth the wait.

Despite how the plot is structured, and the editing that shapes it, over a runtime of ninety-five minutes the narrative shows itself to be rather simpler than one might think. It's still a good time, though, for that's all that the picture wants to provide, and that's what we get, however much one may reasonably critique various aspects. The fight choreography really is terrific, however long we wait for it - and in fairness, while the most significant and invigorating action violence waits over an hour to show up, we do get the obligatory training scenes in the meanwhile that are enjoyable in and of themselves. I think the feature would have definitely benefited from a more careful, mindful hand, in most every capacity, not to mention even more of the martial arts that audiences anticipate in the first place, yet it remains well done and worthwhile in its own right, with the climax naturally being the best of all. While 'Iron Monkey' falls short of being a must-see compared to many of its kin, if one has the chance to watch it's nonetheless suitably entertaining despite its weaknesses, and sometimes that's all a movie needs to be.

Iron Monkey is the nickname of a young man who is a carefree and gambler but once he becomes the sole survivor of a Manchurian massacre where his father and mother are killed he changes drastically: After burying his family, a fate-filled road leads Iron Monkey to the Shaolin Temple, where he masters with agility the fearsome Monkey Fist method. He then leaves the temple to become a guard for the general who killed his family. Before he can reach him he has to take on his cronies.

There's some seriously great choreography in this above average Kung fu film with some excellent weapon work in addition to the hand to hand combat. The hero is in particular quite elegant in movement- his fight with the general is a standout climactic showdown with each getting the better of each other. But what makes Iron Monkey a good film is a solid plot, some great training montages such as training under a bed of nails, and good acting from the lead.

Ma (Chen Kuan Tai) is too busy gambling and womanizing to be of much help when his family is rounded up by a local general. By the time he realizes what's going on and tries to intervene to save them, his relatives refuse to openly acknowledge that he's a member of the family. He's beaten senseless by a benevolent benefactor who claims that Ma is HIS insane son. Thus is he saved. To stop a younger son from revealing the truth to their jailers, Ma's father strangles the boy with a chain. The entire family is subsequently murdered. The next time we see Ma, he's a sneak thief known simply as "Monkey." He's allowed to join a Shaolin Temple he's been stealing food from and an elderly monk observes: "In your life, someone has planted much evil. You'll repay him in kind." Monkey, it's decided, will learn Monkey Fist from The Bitter Monk. Once he's learned what he needs to know, Iron Monkey bids farewell to the Shaolin Temple. "You're still full of hatred," the elderly monk tells him: "And, this time, I smell blood." In order to work his way up the ranks of the Ching army to get to the man he wants, Iron Monkey kills a lot of innocent people- including some "Shaolin rebels." Chen Kuan Tai doesn't monkey around in IRON MONKEY: he's a surprisingly capable director, and his Monkey Fist kung fu is far superior to the usual over-the-top antics we usually see from Monkey stylists. His fluid transitions from one stance to another are a joy to watch and he conveys a sense of power often lacking in Monkey style fight scenes.