There's a decided brusqueness in the editing and storytelling that makes for a somewhat choppy viewing experience, with movement between scenes and beats (and even points in time) that's far less than smooth, and therefore less than fully convincing. It's gratifying that there is at least a complete, cohesive, compelling story told, which is more than can be said of some lesser contemporary martial arts flicks. Set this aside, and in 'Iron Monkey' we see facets common to most all such fare: a period setting, brought to bear with gorgeous sets and costume design; pronounced sound effects, exaggerating blows or even just movement; dubbing in the widely available version that's questionable at best; direction that accentuates spectacle where possible - and, of course, excellent stunts and action sequences. There is perhaps less emphasis here on fight scenes than in similar titles, surely making it a tad less appealing when that's what we come here for in the first place, but those that we do get (almost entirely in the last act) are fantastic, and worth the wait.
Despite how the plot is structured, and the editing that shapes it, over a runtime of ninety-five minutes the narrative shows itself to be rather simpler than one might think. It's still a good time, though, for that's all that the picture wants to provide, and that's what we get, however much one may reasonably critique various aspects. The fight choreography really is terrific, however long we wait for it - and in fairness, while the most significant and invigorating action violence waits over an hour to show up, we do get the obligatory training scenes in the meanwhile that are enjoyable in and of themselves. I think the feature would have definitely benefited from a more careful, mindful hand, in most every capacity, not to mention even more of the martial arts that audiences anticipate in the first place, yet it remains well done and worthwhile in its own right, with the climax naturally being the best of all. While 'Iron Monkey' falls short of being a must-see compared to many of its kin, if one has the chance to watch it's nonetheless suitably entertaining despite its weaknesses, and sometimes that's all a movie needs to be.
Despite how the plot is structured, and the editing that shapes it, over a runtime of ninety-five minutes the narrative shows itself to be rather simpler than one might think. It's still a good time, though, for that's all that the picture wants to provide, and that's what we get, however much one may reasonably critique various aspects. The fight choreography really is terrific, however long we wait for it - and in fairness, while the most significant and invigorating action violence waits over an hour to show up, we do get the obligatory training scenes in the meanwhile that are enjoyable in and of themselves. I think the feature would have definitely benefited from a more careful, mindful hand, in most every capacity, not to mention even more of the martial arts that audiences anticipate in the first place, yet it remains well done and worthwhile in its own right, with the climax naturally being the best of all. While 'Iron Monkey' falls short of being a must-see compared to many of its kin, if one has the chance to watch it's nonetheless suitably entertaining despite its weaknesses, and sometimes that's all a movie needs to be.