Movies - Iron Monkey

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	Movies - Iron Monkey

Iron Monkey (Chinese: 少年黃飛鴻之鐵馬騮) is the American name to the 1993 Hong Kong Kung fu movie called Siunin Wong Fei-hung tsi titmalau (a literal translation of the title is Young Wong Fei Hung: Iron Monkey), directed by Woo-Ping Yuen. The film was given a wide release in America in 2001 by Miramax Films with the backing of director Quentin Tarantino. It received good reviews in America, where it made $14 million.

The film tells a fictionalized account of an episode in the childhood of the Chinese warrior Wong Fei Hung, and his father, Wong Kei Ying (played by Donnie Yen).

Synopsis

The film takes place during the Qing Dynasty, during 19th Century China, where widespread government corruption had hit the Zeijing Province particularly hard. Repeated environmental disasters and greedy government officials have starved the ordinary townspeople of their money.

To protect the common people, a hero has arrived: a thief along the lines of Robin Hood or Zorro, who steals from the government and gives the money to the poor. This masked thief, known as Iron Monkey, is regarded as a hero by the townsfolk and a problem by the government. Officials from the capitol are repeatedly fired and replaced for being unable to deal with Iron Monkey.

The movie starts out with the Iron Monkey stealing a secret hoard of gold from the current governor, displaying incredible martial arts prowess as he defeats not only the entire militia but the four monk bodyguards of the governor. Here the Monkey is revealed to be a layperson - he has no knowledge of Shaolin martial arts, despite his amazing skill.

It is also revealed that the townspeople have much faith in their hero - none are worried that a new Iron Monkey wanted poster has appeared, they don't seem to believe that any government official can catch him.

The Iron Monkey is actually Doctor Yang, the owner of a medical clinic called "Pa Cho Tong". Doctor Yang is not only an excellent doctor, but a fair one - he overcharges noblemen for their medicine, but gives the same medicine for free to the elderly who suffer from the environmental disasters. He is also loved by the leader of the militia, Captain Fox. Captain Fox has become somewhat obsessed with Iron Monkey - not knowing his true identity, he sees him everywhere.

Iron Monkey's equal is now introduced: Wong Kei-ying, who travels into town for a short stop along with his son Wong Fei-hung. They plan only to collect his medicine and stay in town for one night, but after getting mugged, Kei-ying gets in a fight with the local street thieves. Nearby soldiers, upon watching him display his martial arts skill, believes him to be Iron Monkey and arrests him.

Wong Kei-ying now sees the corruption of the local government firsthand; the soldiers have been arresting anyone remotely related to the monkey, including the owner of a performing monkey, a pharmacist who sells medicine related to the Monkey God, and a street performer who wears face paint to resemble a monkey. They are all now to be fined a huge amount of gold (500 taels), and Wong Kei-ying, upon protesting this injustice, has his son seized.

Before Wong Fei-hung can be branded for opposing the court, the real Iron Monkey appears. Once again the militia is no match for the thief. Amidst the chaos, however, Wong Kei-ying escapes his capturers and engages the Iron Monkey in combat on the rooftops. It is revealed that the Iron Monkey and Wong Kei-ying are perfect equals in terms of martial arts ability. Iron Monkey only narrowly escapes.

Although the real Iron Monkey has appeared, which proves that none of those arrested is he, the governor arrests Wong Fei-hung, holding a deal with Kei-ying: He must capture the Iron Monkey in seven days. He also seizes all of Kei-ying's belongings and money to keep him from abandoning the village.

Wong Kei-ying, who is now stranded in the village, tries to buy some food with his remaining money and discovers, much to his surprise, that the entire village now hates him. Because Wong Kei-ying is attempting to capture Iron Monkey, street vendors refuse to sell their food to him. Hungry and tired, Kei-ying eventually stumbles upon Pa Cho Tong.

After Wong Kei-ying stoops to eat a bun dropped on the ground, Orchid, who is Doctor Yang's friend and helps run the clinic, invites him inside for food. Orchid, Doctor Yang, and Wong Kei-ying all have dinner together and become good friends. Upon hearing his plight, Doctor Yang goes to the city jail and takes Wong Fei-hung into his custody, who is now sick from the plague that he has caught from other jail detainees.

After saving a woman from some rapists (the four monk bodyguards of the governor) Wong Kei-ying meets the White Eagle - one of the warrior followers of the Shaolin rebel Hin-hung, who in a deal with some Qing government officials burned the Shaolin temple in the Fuijan province. Hin-hung is now a powerful official within the government. Kei-ying and the White Eagle have a brief fight before Eagle escapes.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Iron Monkey (film) ]

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Movies - Iron Monkey

Synopsis

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