Main Cast: Yu Rongguang, Donnie Yen, Jean Wang, Tsang Sze Man, Yuen Shun-Yi
Release Year: 1993
Country: HK
Run Time: 89 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
This kung fu classic weaving fact and myth earned a theatrical release in the U.S. from Miramax eight years after it was produced, following a successful retrospective screening at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Festival. Wong Kei Ying (Donnie Yen) is a master of the Hung Gar style of boxing in mid-19th century China. His son, Wong Fei Hung (Sze-Man Tsang), though still just a boy, will grow up to become a martial arts legend, a nearly mythical figure in Chinese history. When Wong Fei Hung is kidnapped, his father is forced to use his daunting skills in the service of the abductor, a dishonest politician plagued by the Robin Hood-style thief known as Iron Monkey, a mysterious masked avenger stealing from the rich, delivering the spoils to the poor. Wong Fei Hung's only allies are the kindly Dr. Yang (Yu Rong Guang) and Yang's assistant, Orchid (Jean Wang), who are protecting an important secret. Iron Monkey (1993) director Yuen Wo Ping is also the masterful martial arts choreographer behind The Matrix (1999) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000); his father served as action choreographer on a series of popular, long-running films centered around the Wong Fei Hung character in the 1950s. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
Originally released in 1993, Iron Monkey finally arrived in the States on the heels of the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yuen Wo-Ping, who did the stunt choreography for that film as well as for The Matrix, directed this high-flying take on the Robin Hood story, in which an amiable country doctor (Dr. Yang, played by Yu Rong-guong) spends his evenings chasing across rooftops and stealing from the corrupt local lord. Produced by Tsui Hark, the prolific director of, among other things, the fabulous Once Upon a Time in China series, Iron Monkey has all the action of a kung-fu action flick -- as you might expect -- and all the grace and poise of an expertly staged musical. Donnie Yen, as itinerant doctor Wong Kei-ying, plays his role with understated elegance. Wong's son, who turns out to be the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hong, is here embodied by Tsang Sze-man with a lively animation that makes her a delight to watch. As is usual for any film where Yuen's involved, the plot here is merely something upon which to hang the nonstop action, culminating as it does in one of those unlikely kung-fu balancing acts for which Yuen is renowned. Not exactly high drama, perhaps, but it hangs together better than most movies of the genre, and it's great fun. ~ Genevieve Williams, All Movie Guide
James Wong - Governor; Yam Sai-Kun; Yen Yee Kwan - Royal Minister; Wong Tsing-ying; Lee Fai - Virgin Assassin; Yu Wing-Kwong; Hau Yin Chung - Scarred Assassin; Cheung Fung Nay - Governor's Favorite Wife; Chun Kwai Bo - Monk #1; Chan Siu Wah - Monk #2; Yip Choi Nam - Monk #3; Ko Man Dick - Monk #4
Credit
Raymond Lee - Associate Producer, Yuen Cheung-Yan - Consultant/advisor, Keiko Koyama - Coordinator, Raymond Lee - Co-producer, Bo Bo Ng - Costume Designer, Anthony Wong - First Assistant Director, Hester Yip - First Assistant Director, Lai Kai Keung - First Assistant Director, Yuen Woo Ping - Director, Mak Chisin - Editor, Angie Lam - Editor, Chan Chi-wai - Editor, Raymond Chow - Executive Producer, Wang Ying-Hsiang - Executive Producer, Mary Stuart Welch - Executive Producer, Yuen Cheung-Yan - Fights Choreographer, Yuen Shun-Yi - Fights Choreographer, Ku Huen Chiu - Fights Choreographer, Ng Yuk Ho - Hair Styles, Lee Ching Lam - Hair Styles, James L. Venable - Composer (Music Score), Chan Kwok Hung - Makeup, Wong Chun Fai - Makeup, Ringo Cheung - Production Designer, Arthur Wong Ngok Tai - Cinematographer, Tam Chi Wai - Cinematographer, Ho Lai Sheung - Production Manager, Tsui Hark - Producer, Celia Hallquist - Producer, Chu Yen Ping - Set Designer, Cinefex Workshop Co. - Special Effects, David C. Hughes - Sound/Sound Designer, Philip Carbonaro - Supervisor/Manager, Tsui Hark - Screenwriter, Tang Pik-yin - Screenwriter, Lau Tai-Muk - Screenwriter, Cheung Tan - Screenwriter, Elsa Tang - Screenwriter, Wan Chi Fuk - Production Assistant, Ko Chi Wai - Production Assistant, Ng Ka Wing - Production Assistant, Joseph Grossberg - Visual Effects Supervisor, Brad Kuehn - Visual Effects Supervisor, Chau Lam - Gaffer, Ng Man Ching - Gaffer, Carl Sealove - Music Editor, Venus Wong - Post Production Supervisor, Tunis Chow - Post Production Supervisor, Steve Barnett - Post Production Supervisor, Susan Bendana - Production Coordinator, Lai Pak Shing - Properties Master, Randy Thom - Re-Recording Mixer, Michael Semanick - Re-Recording Mixer, Jurgen Scharpf - Re-Recording Mixer, Sze Oi Ling - Script Supervisor, Ho Tim - Script Supervisor, Kevin Sellers - Sound Effects Director, E. Larry Oatfield - Sound Effects Director, Addison Teague - Sound Effects Director, Chan Kam Chuen - Still Photographer, Christopher Ryan - Supervising Animator, Tim Holland - Supervising Sound Editor, Wendy Grossberg - Visual Effects Producer, Tom Bellfort - ADR Editor, Sina Oroomchi - ADR Mixer, Sharpe Sound Studios - ADR Recordist, Lau Lai Lai - Assistant Costumer Designer, Aura Belle Gilge - Assistant Sound Editor, Chow Shui Hung - Best Boy Electric, Law Wing Tong - Best Boy Electric, John Zeitler - First Assistant Editor, Kevin Bartnof - Foley Artist, Ellen Heuer - Foley Artist, Fred Burke - Foley Editor, Don Mink - Post Production Accountant, Stephanie Johnson - Second Assistant Editor, Peter Kuran - Visual Effects, Pixel Magic - Visual Effects, Metrolight Studios - Visual Effects, Discope - Visual Effects, Vce.com - Visual Effects, Vivian Hengsteler - Negative Cutter
The plot centers on a masked martial artist known as Iron Monkey. Iron Monkey is actually the alter ego of a herbal medicine physician named Yang Tianchun. In the day, he runs his clinic and provides free medical treatment for the poor and overcharges the rich. At night, he dresses in black and travels around town to rob from the rich to help the poor. Once, he breaks into the governor's residence and makes off with a hoard of gold. The guards and four Shaolin monks are unable to stop him. The governor sends Chief Fox to lead his men to hunt down Iron Monkey. Fox is obsessed with catching Iron Monkey and everybody seems very suspicious to him. He does not know that the masked man he is after, is in fact, the physician who provides free medical treatment from his wounded men who had fought with Iron Monkey.
A physician from Foshan named Wong Kei-Ying arrives in town with his young son Wong Fei Hung. Wong Kei Ying gets involved in a fight with some street thugs who attempted to rob him. Some soldiers who have been observing the fight nearby suspect that Wong Kei Ying is Iron Monkey and arrest Wong and his son. During the trial, the governor orders Wong Fei Hung to be branded for defiance. Iron Monkey appears and disrupts the proceedings. Wong Kei Ying is eager to prove his innocence and he fights with Iron Monkey. Neither emerges the victor and Iron Monkey escapes. The governor decides to use Wong Kei Ying to capture Iron Monkey. He keeps Wong Fei Hung in custody and orders Wong Kei Ying to capture Iron Monkey in seven days.
The locals despise Wong Kei Ying for assisting the governor in capturing their hero so they refuse to sell him food or provide him shelter. Wong eventually arrives at Yang's clinic and is taken in by Yang and his nurse Miss Orchid, while he is still unaware of Yang's true identity. With Chief Fox's assistance, Yang gets an ill Wong Fei Hung out of prison and keeps him at the clinic. Wong Fei Hung learns some new martial arts techniques from Yang and Miss Orchid during his stay.
Meanwhile, the Shaolin traitor Hin-Hung, who has become an imperial official, arrive in town with his followers. Hin-Hung takes over as the new governor. Iron Monkey and Wong Kei Ying run into Hin-Hung and his men in two separate encounters and are severely wounded in the fights. The two wounded men retreat back to the clinic. Wong Kei Ying is surprised to discover that Yang is actually Iron Monkey. Both of them assist each other in healing their wounds and they recover quickly. Hin-Hung orders his men to search the town for Iron Monkey and Wong Kei Ying, but Chief Fox (who appears to know more about Iron Monkey's true identity that he's let on before) gets to the clinic first to warn Miss Orchid. Hin-Hung's men eventually find their way to the clinic. Only Miss Orchid and Wong Fei Hung are present there, but they are no match for Hin-Hung's men and are captured.
Iron Monkey and Wong Kei Ying (now wearing an Iron Monkey costume) break into the governor's residence to rescue the captives. They have a final confrontation with Hin-Hung atop burning wooden poles. Eventually after an intense fight, Iron Monkey and Wong defeat Hin-Hung and knocks him down into the fiery inferno below. At the end of the film, a new governor takes over and they hope that he will be an incorrupt one. Wong Kei Ying and Wong Fei Hung leave town for Foshan while Yang and Miss Orchid see them off.
The film's domestic release was delayed due to producer Tsui Hark's insistence on filming some additional comedic scenes after Yuen Woo-ping had finished the film. According to an interview with Tsui on the Iron MonkeyDVD, this delay may have had a negative effect on the film's box office returns.
The film was given a wide release in America by Miramax Films, backed by director Quentin Tarantino. It opened in October 2001 on 1,225 screens earning just over $6 million in its opening weekend and more than $14 million overall. It received good reviews in America, and became the 11th highest-grossing foreign language film in the US.[1] The film received favorable reviews from critics, and it has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]
Numerous controversial edits and changes were made to the film for the US release, to the dismay of Hong Kong cinema fans.[3]
Changes to the American version
In its release in 2001, Miramax made several changes that the company felt would make it more marketable to American audiences:
Since most Americans are unfamiliar with the story of Wong Fei Hung, his name was removed from the title.
The subtitles were tailored to diminish the political context of the story.
Some scenes were trimmed to tone down the violence.
Originally, some fight scenes that had been sped up in places through undercranking. The US release slowed these scenes down to a more normal pace.
Several comedic scenes, particularly ones interspersed in the fight scenes, were removed to give the fights a more serious feel. Although such comedic devices are common in Hong Kong cinema, it was felt they might have seemed odd to an American audience.
A new soundtrack was composed that emulated the classical score to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but in doing so the famous Wong Fei Hung theme was eliminated.
New sound effects were dubbed for the fighting to make them more realistic (as opposed the more traditional exaggerated Hong Kong sounds).
DVD releases
In Hong Kong the film was initially released by Megastar (later Deltamac) in a basic version. This version was released in the US by Tai Seng. Later, it was re-released in Hong Kong by IVL in a digitally remastered edition in the Donnie Yen & Yuen Woo Ping Action Collection.
In the UK and Australia, Hong Kong Legends released the original version of the film on DVD in 2001, in a Collector's Edition. This release featured Cantonese and English audio in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and included an audio commentary with Bey Logan and other supplements. In 2004, Hong Kong Legends re-released the film in a two-disc Platinum Edition, featuring more extras including interviews, production featurettes and promotional materials (such as trailers, photo galleries).
Miramax also released their version on DVD in the US and will be released on Blu-ray in Sept. 15, 2009 with the English audio in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and the Chinese audio in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Sequel
A sequel, Iron Monkey 2 was released in 1996, but it failed to meet audiences' expectations.[clarification needed]
