October 27, 2001 -- "Iron Monkey" is an eight-year-old Hong Kong action movie that is available on DVD, but is being released in theaters again this year to take advantage of the popularity of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Is it worth a trip to the theater to see this? Most definitely. This is the best action film I have seen in some time.

The plot is silly and chaotic. The characterizations are thin and the dialogue is sketchy. The good guys are really good, and the bad guy is really evil. What this film does have going for it is terrific martial arts fight scenes. The fights are sometimes unbelievable, but they are always incredibly well-staged. As I have said before, martial arts films are like dance films, it isn't about plot or character development, it is about the spectacle, the artistry of it. Yuen Woo-ping ("Fist of Legend"), both directs the film and choreographs the film's fight sequences. He also choreographed the fight sequences in "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Yu Rong-Guang of "Shanghai Noon" stars as Dr. Yang (Iron Monkey) along with his able assistant Miss Orchid Ho (played by Jean Wang). Also starring are Donnie Yen of "Highlander: Endgame") as Wong Kei-Ying, and Angie Tsang Sze-Man, a girl who plays a boy in the film, Wong Fei-Hung, son of Wong Kei-Ying. The bad guy is Hui Hing (played by Yen Yee Kwan, AKA Yam Sai Kun of "Once Upon a Time in China") an evil royal minister and renegade Shaolin master. Yeun Shun-Yee of "Fist of Legend" plays the local constable, Chief (or Master) Fox.

Both Wong Kei-Ying and Wong Fei-Hung are legendary martial arts figures in China. Wong Fei-Hung (also spelled Wong Fei-hong or Wong Fai-Hung; Chinese names don't translate well into English) lived from 1847-1924 and was a famous practitioner and developer of the hun gar style of martial arts. Many books and movies have been made about him, including "The Legend of Drunken Master," a 1994 Jackie Chan film. "Iron Monkey" is also considered a prequel of sorts to "Once Upon a Time in China," yet another film about the exploits of Wong Fei-Hung.

The story takes place in 1857 the late Qing Dynasty in the Zhejing province in Eastern China. A corrupt governor is hoarding food and money during a period of starvation. Iron Monkey, a martial arts super hero, with a mask, a secret identity and everything, steals from the corrupt governor and gives food and money to the poor. The governor (James Wong of "Double Dragon") is powerless to stop this Robin Hood character, until another martial arts expert, Wong Kei-Ying, appears. The governor grabs the 10-year-old Wong Fei-Hong and tells Wong Kei-Ying he must capture Iron Monkey if he wants his son back.

This is sets up the thin plot line which serves as an excuse for a whole string of fight scenes. Just about everyone in the movie ends up fighting each other at one time or another. Wong Kei-Ying and Dr. Yang, along with the evil monk Hui Hing, are the master fighters. Their final fight, staged over a raging fire, as they fight balanced on the ends of poles, is a real show-stopper. Elements of various martial arts styles are showcased in these fast-paced fights. The participants even yell out the names of martial arts moves for the benefit of the audience, like "shadowless kick," "Buddha palm" or "flying sleeves." The historic "shadowless kick" (mo ying geuk) is so named because it is reputed to be so fast, you don't see the shadow. This aspect of the film seems to be aimed at true martial arts aficionados, but taking time to name individual kicks and punches in the middle of a fight sort of works as comedy for the rest of us.

While the story and characterizations are weak, the action is as good as you'll see in any film. Some of the humor works, too. This is a real audience-pleaser of a film. It is funny and the fight scenes are wondrous. Even people who are not fans of kung-fu movies will enjoy this. It sounds like a lot of violence, and it is, but there is little blood, and hardly anybody gets killed. It isn't really graphic violence at all. The cinematography, by Arthur Wong ("Once Upon a Time in China"), is also quite good.

Some people have tried to compare "Iron Monkey" to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," but that's like trying to compare apples and oranges. The fight scenes are better in "Iron Monkey," while the story and characterizations are far superior in CTHD. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a martial arts film that truly transcends the genre to rise to the level of a great motion picture. "Iron Monkey" is a fine example of the genre, but it suffers from the typical flaws of the genre: a jumbled plot, terrible dialogue, overacting, and no character development.

After seeing this film, I suddenly got the urge to seek out titles of other films directed, or choreographed, by Yuen Woo-ping. I've liked several other films that he was involved in, "The Matrix," "Fist of Legend," "Black Mask," and, of course, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." All these films are available on video. Director Quentin Tarantino is named as a producer of the 2001 release of "Iron Monkey," which is reportedly a restored version with new subtitles. It rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.