Hoping to cash in on the popularity of Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning “”Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,”” the suits at Miramax dug up and digitally improved the 1993 Chinese import “”Iron Monkey”” for theatrical release in the States. Similarities to “”Dragon”” are evident and expected, as “”Monkey”” was helmed by Lee’s action choreographer Yeun Woo-Ping. But where Lee’s “”Dragon”” wrapped traditional social conflicts around a dreamy fable, red-headed stepchild “”Monkey”” drives its point home with a kick.
At its core, Yuen’s “”Monkey”” retells the infamous Peter Pan legend, with the mysterious Iron Monkey figure robbing from corrupt official Governor Cheng (James Wong) and distributing the confiscated cash to the poor. However, Yuen complicates his elemental parable by mixing in healthy doses of polygamy, political power struggles, retribution, explorations of antiquated legacies and the bonds shared between fathers and sons, all laced with touches of humor typically found in the fleet-footed Far East dramas.By day, the Iron Monkey masquerades as Dr. Yang (Rongguang Yu), mild-mannered servant to the poor. Eventually Dr. Yang’s cover is threatened by a close friend, Wong Kei-Ying (Donnie Yen), who reluctantly agrees to hunt down the Iron Monkey for Governor Cheng, who has kidnapped Kei-Ying’s son, Wong Fei-Hung (Sze-Man Tsang), and is holding him for ransom. A clouded sense of good and evil emerges from Kei-Ying and Yang’s inevitable confrontation, as both are noble warriors forced to fight for what they believe in. And only when they unite to combat Cheng and his forces does the movie morally align itself and start kicking tail.And kick tail it does. “”Iron Monkey””‘s strength lies in its fight sequences, brilliantly choreographed dances made possible with the aide of well-placed wires. Where would the contemporary kung-fu hero be without wires and modern camera gimmicks? “”Monkey,”” while spectacular, makes you appreciate how agile and resilient Bruce Lee and the young Jackie Chan were, or how lethargic the overweight Steven Seagal remains. Still, “”Monkey”” promises action, and everyone gets involved, including the young Tsang as Wong Fei-Hung, who readily dispenses of a gang of menacing goons without breaking a sweat. The final battle scene, set atop a series of poles strategically placed in a burning pit, defies logic, and must be seen to be appreciated.Interesting tidbit: “”Iron Monkey””‘s full title, “”Iron Monkey: The Young Wong Fei-Hung,”” signifies that it is the first in a series of films centered around Tsang