IRON MONKEY Screening Report And Quicktime Trailer!!

Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.

Then there's the IRON MONKEY trailer. If you don't know this martial arts film yet, then let me first offer you the quick reactions from a reader who saw a recent screening of the film after Miramax got done with their traditional "polishing" for release. Here's HubCaps:

Hey there, I have no idea if this can be considered interesting in the least, but given a slow day on the rumor mill, it may spark some general interest for the kung fu fan.

Out here in Kansas City we're lucky to find 3.2 beer, much less a movie preview. But it looks like Miramax took pity on us and showed us a preview screening of the Iron Monkey. Directed by famed action choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping (Matrix, Crouching Tiger), this film was released 8 years ago. I suppose, given the recent popularity of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and the beautifully filmed, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Miramax thinks they can cash in on older kung fu movies from this gifted choregraphers plate.

While Yuen Woo-Ping is a gifted choreographer, he's a substandard director that aspires to comic book violence mixed in with a substandard plot. Basically the plot is this: A Chinese variation on Robin Hood. The government of a Chinese village are being robbed by a masked bandit know as the "Iron Monkey". Lots of ass-kicking and wirework occur when, finally, the Govenor forces a traveling stranger into finding the bandit after kidnapping his son.

The arrival of an evil Shaolin monk, brings the Stranger and Iron Monkey together. Yadda, yadda, yadda, finally they kick some more ass and kill lots of people. Not the greatest plot in history, but WHO CARES??!! It's a kung fun movie and shouldn't be seen as anything but the genre it's intended.

I will have to admit that Miramax really pumped up the sound effects which translated very well to film. It's not the best movie in the world, but should generate a stress relieving 70 minutes as you watch some amazing martial arts. Yuen Woo-Ping, hands down, knows how to film and choreograph a fight. Put me on his side if I ever get involved in a fight! Call me HubCaps.

I saw this film on DVD on one of Harry's trips out here and had fun with it. Certainly didn't redefine the genre for me, but it's always nice to see stuff like this play wide in this country.