Siu Nin Wong Fei Hung Chi: Tit Ma Lau 1993

Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News: The action here is peerless. But seen after Crouching Tiger -- in which Yuen's martial-arts mastery was equaled, and balanced, by the story -- you might find yourself wishing for a little Hidden Monkey. Read more

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: Contains some of the most inspired martial arts sequences ever put on film. Read more

Charles Savage, Miami Herald: Its production values may not be as good as when Ang Lee or the Wachowski brothers are behind the camera, but the creative vigor of its originality, distilled in a pure and unadulterated form, is simply exhilarating. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: Now here's a violent movie that the whole family can enjoy. Read more

Ebert & Roeper: Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: It's got more wit and heart, more eye-dazzling adventure, and more poetic depth than most big Hollywood movies. Read more

Dave Kehr, New York Times: The story is fairly generic, but plot has as little to do with the pleasures of kung fu movies as story lines do in musicals. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: As with other, similar movies, you do have to buy into brazen pulp operatics to get through it. Still, there's a rough-hewn energy to the movie's pre-digital flying-fist sequences that all but neutralizes the unapologetic hokum. Read more

Melanie McFarland, Seattle Times: A breathtaking pleasure certain to build anticipation for Yuen's future directing efforts on this side of the globe. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: A rollicking, comic-book Robin Hood plot and more furiously entertaining fight scenes than the ones in Ang Lee's solemn martial-arts art movie. Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Action fans who like their kung fu in period costume and with little blood will likely think they've struck the motherlode. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Yuen tosses off nimble, elegantly witty solutions to life's most vexing problems regarding rooms full of bad guys who won't take thwak for an answer. Read more

Houston Chronicle: Pure ballet, pure candy for the eyes. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: [Yuen's] fights are innovative and intense, whether they're a whirlwind one-on-one duel or one of many struggles featuring multiple combatants. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: A film like Iron Monkey is basically aimed at audiences who want elaborate fight sequences and fidget at the dialogue in between. It's for the fans, not the crossover audience. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: Not only has nothing essential been compromised, but the film seems crisper, cleaner and better organized than I remember. Read more

Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was like fusion food, Chinese for Western tastes. Now, get ready for the real thing. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Think of Iron Monkey as the potboiling cousin of Crouching Tiger, rather than its most honoured forefather, and you'll be on the right wavelength. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Monkey ends up being 86 minutes of action with none of the character depth that made Crouching Tiger an international sensation. You see it for its punch-outs the way you see Riverdance for its stomping. Read more

Dennis Lim, Village Voice: The final duel, fought on burning poles and involving at least a half dozen Olympic skills, is dazzling. Read more