Search - The Iron-Fisted Monk on DVD

Sammo Does It Again

Adam C. Scarbrough | San Luis Obispo, CA USA | 09/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is yet another excellent kung fu movie done by Sammo Hung. The fighting is outstanding consisting of multiple kung fu styles facing off against each other, all done with superior speed and precision. Also sword and other weapons battles round out the action. There are still a ton of fight scenes but not quite as many as some of his other films, probably short by just a couple. The story is good and has decent acting. Briefly it is about Sammo leaving the Shaolin temple and settling in a town run by gangs and other power hungry men who always do what they please. Sammo gets indirectly involved and is forced to restore some authority. It is done well enough to keep your interest throughout and contains some scenes not normally seen in these type of films(nude, rape, a whore house). I was quite surprised with the amount of nudity shown(female). This movie is definitely not for children.

The sound is very good, Dolby 5.1, and can be in chinese with or without english subtitles or english dubbed. The dubbing is done fairly well, I was pleased with it. The picture is extremely well restored and is very clear and sharp. It is also in an anamorphic widescreen format as most Fox/Fortune Star DVD's are. Some other Fox/Fortune Star films I reccommend are The Magnificent Butcher starring Sammo Hung, Knockabout starring both Yuen Biao and Sammo, The Prodigal Son starring Yuen Biao and Lam Ching Ying, The Young Master starring Jackie Chan, In The Line Of Duty 4 starring Donnie Yen and Cynthia Khan, and Duel To The Death starring Damian Lau and Tsui Siu Keung.

The Iron Fisted Monk is definitely a good addition to any kung fu collection."

Good Sammo Hung directed movie, but not as good as his best

morgoth | omaha, NE | 02/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sammo stars as a man who is learning kung fu so that he can fight the Manchus. The directing from Sammo is good, the camerawork is brilliant, the story is decent, and the fights are very good for 1977. Fung Hak-on plays the main villain, and Yen Shi Kwan and Chien Yuet San play his top 2 henchmen. Always nice to see those 3 in action. Chen Sing has a small role and unfortunately he doesn't get to show off his handwork as much as he usually does. If you have seen most of Sammo's movies and are looking for something else to feed your Sammo craving, then give this a look.

3.5/5

Picture and sound quality on the 20th century Fox DVD are good."

Very good, but not great

Christopher J. Deasy | Depends on the time of year | 05/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sammo does an excellent job in this film (once again). He is probably one of the only 70's gong fu stars who could actually act, and it adds to the film. The reason for the 4 star rating - a lackluster ending. The film startled me at first (very graphic rape scene) but then fell into the all to familar formulaic ending.... while there's nothing wrong with a formulaic ending in the kung fu genre, the better films have a strange or demented twist (see "Thundering Mantis" ). Worth the money, but not a classic."

A great Sammo Hung kung fu film, but not as good as....

Todd Bovair | Wynantskill, NY United States | 03/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Warriors Two or Prodigal Son. While those two movies are true 5-star classics, Iron Fisted Monk just seems to come up a bit short, both in the action and the execution. While the fight scenes have typically good Sammo choregraphy, they just aren't QUITE up to his usual standards (in my opinion). However, the story is quite good, and make no mistake, the fight scenes are still very satisfying.
As with any Sammo movie, be prepared for comedy to be mixed into the otherwise serious storyline (oftentimes very lame or inappropriate humor, by Western standards). This Fox DVD has a fantastically restored picture and sound (I always recommend watching with the Chinese audio track and English subtitles), and although there are no extras on the DVD to speak of, the price is a real bargain.
One more important point to make is that this is NOT an uncut version of Iron Fisted Monk. The brutal rape scene in this movie is MUCH MORE extended and graphic on the Hong Kong issued versions of the DVD (so much so it is pretty uncomfortable to watch). Fox obviously used a cut print for this DVD. This really shouldn't matter to anyone, as the cut parts (about 20 seconds worth) add nothing to the story, but I am telling you so that you know.
Iron Fisted Monk is a great movie for anyone who enjoys kung fu films, or even those who fondly remember watching 'Kung Fu Theater' on TV in the early '80s. I recommend Warriors Two or Prodigal Son first (both available from Fox), but if you enjoyed those, check out Iron Fisted Monk!"