Iron Monkey (1993)

January 28, 2017

Iron Monkey (aka Iron Monkey: The Young Wong Fei Hung) is probably the second biggest breakthrough Wuxia movie that made it to the west thanks in part to Miramax Films & Quentin Tarantino giving the movie a supportive push for a western release in 2001.  Iron Monkey is by far the best Wuxia film of the 90s (yes even more so than the Once Upon a Time in China series)! Fantastic action, script, sets, and the acting was also well done.  This film is by far on my 10 best Wuxia films list.

You have some of the best names attached to this film!  Yuen Wo-Ping, Tsui Hark, Donnie Yen, Yu Rongguang, & Yen Shi-kwan. It would have been really hard to mess the movie up!

I don’t want to say anymore about the film as I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone! However if you can get the unedited HK version then do so rather than the western version which has had many scenes removed to reduce the violence and has had the soundtrack changed twice compared to the original release.

Yuen Wo-Ping Director
Ku Huen-Chiu Action Director
Yuen Cheung-Yan Action Director
Yuen Shun-Yi Action Director
Elsa Tang Bik-Yin, Script
Lau Tai-Muk, Script
Tsui Hark Script, Producer

Donnie Yen (The Twins Effect, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, Wu Xia) as Wong Kei-ying
Yu Rongguang (The East Is Red, The Storm Riders, Mulan) as Yang Tianchun / Iron Monkey
Jean Wang (Once Upon a Time in China V) as Miss Orchid
Angie Tsang as Wong Fei-hung
Yen Shi-kwan (Once Upon a Time in China, Dragon Inn, Swordsman 2 ,The Heroic Trio) as Hin-hung, Wonder Palm Monk Hin Hung
James Wong (A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation) as Governor Cheng
Yuen Shun-yi (Duel of the Dragons, Postman Strikes Back, Once Upon a Time in China, The Grandmaster) as Fox
Lee Fai (A Chinese Ghost Story II, Legend of the Dragon) as White Eagle (Hin-hung’s student)
Hsiao Ho (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Clan of the White Lotus, Legendary Weapons of China) as Disfigured Swordsman (Hin-hung’s student)
Chun Kwai-bo (Heart of the Dragon, Mr. Vampire Part 3, Once Upon a Time in China II ) as Shaolin monk
Chan Siu-wah (A Chinese Ghost Story II, Once Upon a Time in China, The Legend of Zu) as Shaolin monk
Chan Chi-man (Drunken Tai Chi, Kung Fu Vampire) as Shaolin monk
Yip Choi-nam (Last Hero in China) as Shaolin monk
Cheung Fung-lei as Governor Cheng’s mistress
Shut Mei-yee (A Chinese Ghost Story, Black Mask) as Governor Cheng’s advisor
Duen Wai-lun (Drunken Master II) as Rich patient
Dang Tai-who (Magnificent Warriors, Fist of Fury (1991), Legendary Assassin) as Chief of thieves’ gang
Wong Kim-ban as Member of thieves’ gang
Ling Chi-hung  as Constable

Roger Ebert review

Love HK Films review

Beyond Hollywood review

City on Fire review

Trivia: James Wong Jim who played the comedic role of Governor Cheng is a composer who composed the music for such classics as Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre I & II, Peking Opera Blues, Martial Arts of Shaolin, A Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy, & Deadful Melody amongst others