The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977)

Awesome Movie

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

I always find it a refreshing change to see Sammo Hung cast as the lead, instead of being the sidekick to Jackie Chan all the time. "The Iron Fisted Monk" is an ideal opportunity for Hung to prove not only his worth as a leading man - which he does - but also to demonstrate his ability to give a straight, dramatic performance. The martial arts that's on display is simply impeccable. Various styles of Kung Fu are on display and the Shaolin monk character is the toughest of them all! Keep a look out for James Tien, once a co-star of Bruce Lee. The climax is about 15 minutes in length as Sammo Hung vows vengeance upon those who murdered his fellow martial arts students and friends.

Well. I have to say I am rather amazed that this movie has a 7-star rating at IMDb. I was looking forward to Iron-Fisted Monk, but it strongly disappointed me. The plot and the characters are staggeringly formulaic, and far, far too much time is spent on the bad guys raping and massacring people with impunity (of course, this doesn't mean that there aren't several idiotic comedy scenes in it, also, complete with the worst sound effects in cinema history). There is also far too long between good fight scenes. The last ten minutes are satisfying, but everything else is decidedly below average. A very poor and disappointing effort from Sammo Hung, who has done so many other cool movies. I thought Iron-Fisted Monk would be one of his landmark efforts, but it's more of a landmark failure. It's just not in good taste, and does not deserve a rating above 3 or 4.

The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977) is Sammo Hung's brilliant directorial debut. Though the revenge plot is average for kung fu films of the time, the martial arts action and choreography are extraordinary. Iron-Fisted Monk marked the beginning of Hung's movie making prime. In the late 70's and early 80's Hung stared in and directed some of his best films including: Warriors Two, The Magnificent Butcher, The Prodigal Son, Knockabout and The Victim. The Iron-Fisted Monk was the film that got his directorial career rolling.In the Iron-Fisted Monk, Sammo Hung plays "Husker," a young civilian who is taken in and trained by Shaolin monks after his uncle was killed by the Manchus. Seeking vengeance he eventually leaves the temple. After a group of Manchu officials make trouble in a small town, Husker teams up with a local man named Liang and the "iron fisted monk" Brother Tak (Chan Sing) to finally bring justice to the evil Manchu officials.The martial arts action and choreography in this film are unbelievable. The film features some of the "hardest" kung fu you will ever see in a Sammo Hung film. Sammo does a great job playing to his strengths, providing a good mixture of martial arts and acrobatics. When this film was made Sammo was young and very near his physical prime. He is very fast and powerful and gives one of his better physical performances. Chan Sing also gives one of the most inspired physical performances of his career. Along with kung fu, the film features a lot of weapon fighting including: swords, spears, knifes and staffs.The film was made by Golden Harvest studios, which means high production values and a talented stable of actors to work with. Notable appearances in the film include: James Tien as a Shaolin instructor, Casanova Wong as a young monk and Lam Ching-ying as an extra. Fung Hak-on (Warriors Two, Magnificent Butcher) plays the villain yet again and does a very convincing job.Unlike many of Hung's films, Iron-Fisted Monk has a very serious tone. There are some comedic touches but they are overpowered by the intense drama. The Iron-Fisted Monk is one of Hung's more violent films, featuring very aggressive fight sequences and lots of bloodshed. The movie also includes a few brutal rape scenes. The rape scenes are very graphic and intense and, in my opinion, should have been toned down or left out completely. There is also a ridiculous nude scene in a brothel featuring Wu Ma. The scene was meant for comic relief but should have been left out also. The rape and nude scenes are the only detractions to this otherwise brilliant martial arts film.The Iron-Fisted Monk was Sammo Hung's first effort as a filmmaker, but it is hard to tell. The martial arts action in the film is superb and outshines most other films made at the time. There are a few weak spots but overall it is a top notch genre film. The Iron-Fisted Monk is one of Sammo Hung's best works and is definitely in the top 30 best martial arts films of all time. The film is definitely not a family friendly Sammo movie but it is highly recommended for hard core kung fu genre buffs.Martial Arts Genre Rating: 8/10 "You're a Shaolin monk. How dare you kill indiscriminately!" "We're here to rid this world of a rapist and a murderer!"

Sammo's directorial debut is a mixed bag with some great fight scenes, decent comedy, and unpleasant scenes of violence. The plot, which rolls along almost painfully a times, centers around Husker (Sammo Hung) seeking revenge against the Machus for killing his uncle. Along the way to actually taking revenge he befriends a man who's daughter is raped by the local Manchu official and ultimately enlists in the aid of his wandering monk friend, Brother Tak, to take on the Manchus. The plot changes direction so many times that one has to wonder if it was made up as they went along. There are a couple rape scenes midway through the movie that are unnecessarily explicit and go on much too long. As the movie progresses though we are treated to some decent martial arts sequence, which are not as elaborate as Sammo's later works, but fast paced and solid none the less. Worth watching for the fight sequences, but sitting through the plot might turn you off of the movie before you get to them.