Iron Monkey

An herbal doctor becomes a masked hero to the oppressed local population during the Chinese Qing Dynasty and must face an evil Manchu official and his Shaolin monks as well as local officials.

Overview: Directed by Yuen Wo Ping (best known as the action director on The Matrix), Iron Monkey features a very straightforward Robin-Hood-type story as the background for fast-paced, wall-to-wall action. The film features some incredibly imaginative choreography and great camera-work making it quite possibly the quintessential wire-work martial arts extravaganza of the ’90s. Some of the wire-enhanced acrobatics may look a little fake at times, but it rarely detracts from the stunning, inventive fight scenes that fills the screen. Especially entertaining is the final battle atop a court-full of burning wooden poles! Each one of the main characters are top-notch martial artists, and the film gives them all a chance to show just how good they really are. For pure jaw-dropping, no-holds barred fantasy action, nothing beats Iron Monkey.