A Robin Hood-like fable about a masked martial artist who wreaks havoc upon a corrupt, oppressive provincial government, Iron Monkey was directed in 1993 by famed, gravity-shunning fight choreographer Woo-ping Yuen (The Matrix; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and it remains one of the best feudal China kung fu flicks ever. Given a big budget makeover of souped-up visual and sound effects (the punches still have that slapstick, kung fu flick ring to them, but now it's a Dolby Digital 5.1 slapstick ring), it's every inch as good as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but without the austere elegance. A chop-socky spectacular that is pure, unadulterated fun, and packed with enthusiastically implausible fight scenes, this is highly recommended. (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 15, 2009—Miramax, 86 min., PG-13, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1993's Iron Monkey sports a good transfer with 5.1 DTS-HD sound. Blu-ray extras include an interview with presenter Quentin Tarantino (9 min.), an interview with star Donnie Yen (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: an excellent Blu-ray debut for a contemporary martial arts winner.]
Iron Monkey
Miramax, 85 min., PG-13, VHS: $103.99, DVD: $26.95, Mar. 26 Volume 17, Issue 2
Iron Monkey
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