User Reviews

MONKEY KUNG FU is a typical Hong Kong outing in the Jackie Chan mould, heavily derived from the success of Jackie Chan's incredibly influential double bill, SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW and DRUNKEN MASTER. Now, there were literally hundreds of Chan imitations being churned out in the years between 1979 and 1984, so films of this ilk have to have something really special about them in order for them to stand out.

Thankfully, MONKEY KUNG FU does have something: it was made by Shaw Brothers, so the production values are much better than expected for this sub-genre. This is a fine looking film with all of the action taking place outside in a mixture of location shooting and the famous Shaw sets so beloved by fans. The plot is extremely slight and characters come and go according to plot contrivance; the bad guys, for example, helpfully disappear for a while to give our hero the chance to train up his skills. In addition, there's a real lack of momentum so that this isn't a particularly exciting picture in terms of narrative drive.

However, the good news is that the action choreography is strong and the fights are fast-paced and wacky. The opening prison brawl between the hero and the old master is very well portrayed and then there's plenty of mileage in a brief chained-together plot. I loved the bit with the Bolo-alike blacksmith and his sledgehammer. Later, things get bogged down in the hunt for an old manuscript, but pick up again for some great training sequences that have a really vicious streak. The final fight boasts a beautiful backdrop and some typically skilled and furious fighting styles. Overall, this is far from the best that Shaw made, but as a light action comedy with decent choreography, it's difficult to dislike.

This is a fun movie starring Ching Siu Tung, Hau Chou Sheng, Kuan Feng, Chang Cheng, Wong Mei Mei, Yun Fat, Lin Hui Huang. The fights are great. The fights are choreographed by Ching Siu Tung and Hau Chao Sheng. There is one amazing fight over a chair between Ching and the one eyed prisoner that was great. Hou Chao Sheng( Super Power, 5 Superfighters) is an exciting fighter. He has a certain style which is entertaining. He can really do the Monkey style. This man is very fluid with his moves and is really fast.Chning Siu Tung is an acrobat. He probably came form the opera troupe. His father is directer Cheng Kang( 12 Gold Medallions, Kidnap, Killers 5, Sword of Swords). He has great acrobatics which was shown it the training sequences and last fight with villain Kuan Feng( 5 Superfighters, Boxer From The Temple, Spearman, A Deadly Secret) Kuan Feng is awesome! Especially with that pole. Which he was bruising both of our heroes. There is also a woman who Ching Siu Tung fought before the last fight. Her name is Wong Mei Mei( 5 Superfighters, Boxer From The Temple, Iron Chain Assassin, The Master Strikes) . She is nasty. She uses her legs well. Watch her in 5 Superfighters where she was great. Also watch her in Iron Chain Assassin give Ti Lung a hard time. The beginning of the movie is great with that setting and that music which was in The HEROIC ONES, 4 REAL FRIENDS, HEROES OF SHAOLIN. I love that music. All in all a kung fu movie which I can watch over and over again. It is one of my favorite Shaw flicks. The movie is in 1979 and directed by Lo Mar( 5 Superfighters, Boxer From Temple, Bruce Lee: His Last Days, His last Nights) I really recommend this movie.

'Monkey Kung Fu' is a chinese production by the legendary Shaw Brothers, who did since the 60s martial arts movies. The good thing as a producer to keep the costs low, is to reuse stories, time periods, set designs, makeups, costumes and actors.

Here, we have as sets an all well-known prison, a classical street, a brothel and a lot of outdoor locations.

The story is very thin and not really that important. It's the classical conflict between two kung fu schools, one is the good one, the other the bad one, and it's about a powerful kung fu technique in a hidden book by the master of the good school, the yellow panters, that the main cast and the bad guys are looking for. The main cast finds the book, learn the technique and fight the bad guys in a final battle.

The story in a nutshell.

Dispite the nearly non-existent story and and mostly onedimensional characters, it's not an actors movie, it's an action flick, the movie offers a lot of fight scenes that are very entertaining, some are comedic (resemblances to early Jacky Chan fight scenes are intended), high artistry and acrobatics in well choreographed martial arts kung fu action. Some fights might be too long and the dubbing of the hits, kicks, punches and stabs is too monotone and cheap, that it takes away some of its tension.

Nevertheless, it's an entertaining take on the kung fu genre.

88 Films have not limited themselves to the works of only 1 or 2 directors when it comes to their Asian Collection, films featuring the classic martial arts films from the Shaw Brothers Studios. The amount of films that came from that studio could not have been carried by 1 or 2. This time around they give us the work of director Mar Lo aka John Law whose output might not have equaled some of his contemporaries but whose work remains solid.

MONKEY KUNG FU (also known as STROKE OF DEATH) opens with small time crook Ching (Siu-Tung Ching) arrested and tossed into prison. Ching is young and cocky and thinks of himself as the toughest guy in prison due to his martial arts skills. The problem is they are nothing compared to those of an elderly one eyed fellow prisoner Ma Siu Tien who teaches him better. The two become friends and just before he is about to be executed, the man gives a medallion to Ching telling him to find the man with the other half.

Working on a chain gang and connected to fellow prisoner Zhou (Hau Chiu-Sing) circumstances provide them with a chance to escape. They do so only to be followed by the members of an evil clan determined to recover the medallion that Ching possesses. Ching and Zhou escape, find a way to break their chains and go their separate ways. When the clan members return the pair are reunited and fight their way out. After doing so Zhou reveals that he has the other half of the medallion. Joined together they discover it provides the location of a manuscript that will teach them the Gibbon Style technique, sought after by the evil clan. The two men train and an eventual showdown with the evil clan is inevitable.

So many others have noted that the plot of this film is thinner than most. But that doesn't mean it isn't jam packed with plenty of action. In addition to that the film has numerous comedic moments as well, most popular among fans the sequence where Ching is beaten up by a bevy of beauties in a brothel after he fails to have the funds he owes there.

Nearly every review I've seen of this film references Jackie Chan and his early comedic martial arts films while talking about this film. Perhaps I've not seen enough of those to feel the same. I found this film to be its own entity, its own film without that connection. Siu-Tung Ching does a great job in the role of a young man who thinks he knows it all only to learn better. And Hau Chiu-Sing complements him as the more serious character. Together they work amazingly well.

While the plot might be thing the action sequences here are fantastic. They fill up much of the screen time and do so with acrobatic ease in all of the performers as well as fight sequences that are dazzling. Even the sequence in the brothel displays skills one would not associate with that location.

88 Films once again provides plenty of extras alongside the release in beautiful HD remaster from the original 35mm negative. These include a slipcase with brand new artwork by R. P. "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien, booklet notes by Andrew Graves, a double sided foldout poster, an audio commentary track by Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast On Fire Network, "Stunting Around" an interview with choreographer Tony Leung Siu-hung, the original trailer and a reversible sleeve with brand new artwork by R. P. "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien and the original Hong Kong poster artwork.

88 Films is giving Arrow a run for their money when it comes to releasing these classic Chinese martial arts films. As good as they are let's hope they continue doing so.

Wei Chung is a newcomer to prison and immediately starts fighting with Ma Siu Tien, a one eyed old man who is his cellmate. The Ma Siu Tien repeatedly defeats him and on the night before he's to be executed, he gives the young man half of a medal, telling him that there's a great secret if he can find the other half. Can Wei Chung escape prison and discover the secret? Or will he be stopped by Tung Hei Fung?

Now chained to another inmate named Zhou, Wei Chun soon learns that the man, who he once saw as a nobody, has the other half of the key to the treasure, which contains all of the secrets of monkey boxing.

Director Lo Mar mainly worked on comedies for the Shaw Brothers, like the Country Bumpkins series. There's a wild fight on a bed when Wei Chun refuses to pay a woman what she's worth in a brothel, a scene that never leaves the bed. I haven't seen that in a martial arts movie before!

Known as Hooray the Bonebreakers Are Here in Germany and Stroke of Death in the U. S., Monkey Kung Fu and Drunken Monkey, this also has an incredible final battle with amazing staff fighting against the drunken monkey boxing style.