Wired Up
Just as Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon introduced
a generation of Americans to kung fu films in the
1970s, Ang Lee's epic blockbuster Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon is reviving interest in the wuxia
genre today. Asian martial arts films have long
enjoyed cult status among American viewers, but the
unexpected success of Crouching Tiger, along
with Jet Li and Jackie Chan's international careers,
are increasing the popularity of these films
exponentially. Li, for example, has already seen
several of his older Hong Kong hits repackaged and
re-released in the U.S., such as Black Mask and
Twin Warriors (originally Tai-Chi
Master).
The next icon poised to enjoy renewed attention is
Li's one-time action choreographer, Woo-Ping Yuen, the
man also behind the spectacular fight scenes in
Crouching Tiger and The Matrix. Yuen's
resume extends back well over 20 years in the Hong
Kong film industry, and his increasing stature in
Hollywood is evidenced by Miramax's decision to
re-release theatrically The Iron Monkey, a 1993
film directed and choreographed by Yuen, and one of
the most entertaining examples of chop-socky fun to
have come out in the last 10 years.
Co-written by action auteur Tsui Hark (Time and
Tide, Once Upon a Time In China), Iron
Monkey tells the tale of a Robin Hood-like hero,
Dr. Yang (Rongguang Yu), who masquerades at night as
the black-masked Iron Monkey, fighting and stealing
from the greedy and corrupt Governor Chang (James
Wong), in order to feed Chang's impoverished citizens.
Chang's attempts to capture Yang are consistently
frustrated, until the arrival of an even greedier and
more corrupt official, Monk Hin Hung (Sai-Kun Yam).
Hung and Chang force a visiting wuxia master, Wong
Kei-Ying (Donnie Yen), to hunt down Yang, by
kidnapping Wong's 12-year-old son, Wong Fei-Hung
(Sze-Man Tsang).
The other central players are Dr. Yang's comely
assistant, Orchid (Jean Wang), and the bumbling but
good-natured local cop, Master Fox (Shun-Yee Yuen).
Though the cast is large, Iron Monkey's
retelling of the Robin Hood legend is instantly
familiar, a line 'em up and knock 'em down fight
between good and evil. Though the movie isn't stocked
with international stars on the order of a Chow Yun
Fat or Jet Li (though both Yu and Yen are veterans in
the Hong Kong film industry), the lead performers are
charismatic enough to carry the movie.
What the film lacks is a strong female character. A
powerful witch (Fai Li) and Orchid get in on some of
the action, but for the most part, they're relegated
to the sidelines. And ironically, the main female star
isn't even recognized as such: the female performer
Sze-Man Tsang plays the pre-pubescent Wong Fei-Hung,
China's greatest wuxia folk hero, but with her shaved
head and queue, there's no way you'd realize her true
gender.
At the same time, Tsang has choice scenes in the
movie, as the diminutive fighter deftly fends off
opponents much older -- and bigger -- than she.
Because Tsang's character is still a pupil of the
martial arts, rather than a full-fledged master, her
fighting sequences are staged with a minimum of
wirework, Yuen's signature FX technique that allows
actors to fly through the air, literally. Almost all
of the other characters possess superhuman powers and
prowess as they kick, spin, and jump with impossible
speed and strength. While Yuen's approach on
Crouching Tiger was graceful and ballet-like,
portraying realistic human movement, Iron
Monkey is almost pure comic book action. Fighters
in this movie don't float or glide toward each other.
They rocket, bounce and whip.
When Yuen unleashes the full extent of his wirework
expertise, he transforms the action sequences into
fantastic spectacles of leaping bodies and violent
sparring. The closing fight ranks as one of his
greatest acts of choreography, when the Iron Monkey
and Wong Kei-Ying finally join forces to take on Hin
Hung. Not content to have the three battling it out on
the streets or even rooftops, Yuen has them dancing
across a series of thick poles -- lit on fire, no less
-- as each fighter struggles not only to attack his
opponent, but also maintain his balance at the same
time. It's one of the most brilliantly designed
sequences in any wuxia film, and even those who can't
quite suspend their disbelief will marvel at the sheer
insanity of the concept and execution. Compared to the
recent crop of overblown, CGI-laden action, U.S.-made
flops like Tomb Raider and The Mummy
Returns, Iron Monkey keeps its charms simple and straight-forward, and rewards its audience with a tale of utmost excitement and enjoyment value.
