History Film / IronMonkey

A standalone sequel titled ''Iron Monkey 2'' was released 3 years later, and it's a standalone story set in an entire different ''century'' (from the Ming Dynasty to the 1900s), this time starring Donnie Yen as the titular hero instead of the Iron Monkey's partner. While the original film runs on JustLikeRobinHood, ''Iron Monkey 2'' takes its cue from the ''Zorro'' films (where the titular hero is a wealthy official masquerading as a thief, leaves behind calling-cards in each scene of his thefts, and infiltrates the ranks of corrupt lords to bring them down from within).

A standalone sequel titled ''Iron Monkey 2'' was released 3 years later, and it's a standalone story set in an entire different ''century'' (from the Ming Dynasty to the 1900s), this time starring Donnie Yen as the titular hero instead of the Iron Monkey's partner. While the original film runs on JustLikeRobinHood, ''Iron Monkey 2'' takes its cue from the ''Zorro'' films (where the titular hero is a wealthy official masquerading as a thief, infiltrating the ranks of corrupt lords to bring them down from within).

''Iron Monkey'', starring Creator/YuRongGuang and Creator/DonnieYen, is the 1993 fictionalized account of an episode in the childhood of Wong Fei-Hung, better known to American audiences as the protagonist of the smash hit Martial Arts film series ''Film/OnceUponATimeInChina'', starring Creator/JetLi. The premise can be summed up in four words: [[JustLikeRobinHood Robin Hood]] [-[[RecycledInSpace in China]]!]]-]

''Iron Monkey'', starring Creator/YuRongGuang and Creator/DonnieYen, is the 1993 fictionalized account of an episode in the childhood of Wong Fei-Hung, better known to American audiences as the protagonist of the smash hit Martial Arts film series ''Film/OnceUponATimeInChina'', starring Creator/JetLi. The premise can be summed up in four words: [[JustLikeRobinHood Robin Hood]] [[AC: [[RecycledInSpace in China]]!]]

* BattleAmongstTheFlames: The TropeCodifier. Iron Monkey and Wong Kei-Ying are afraid they might have to do this [[spoiler: if they take too long and the poles burn down in the final fight, and as Hin-hung notes smugly, the flames are so intense they'd burn up long before they could get out]]. Combined with...
* BattleAtopThePoles: The final fight has Iron Monkey and Wong Kei-Ying teaming up in a three-way fight with Hin-hung, standing and jumping on a forest of poles.

* BattleAmongstTheFlames: Iron Monkey and Wong Kei-Ying are afraid they might have to do this [[spoiler: if they take too long and the poles burn down in the final fight, and as Hin-hung notes smugly, the flames are so intense they'd burn up long before they could get out]].

* IHaveTheHighGround: [[spoiler: The entirety of the final fight takes place on wooden poles above a fiery ground.]]

* AntiVillain: Chief Fox is the only character working for the corrupt government who isn't portrayed as a complete scumbag. While he occasionally berates his men for incompetence, he does look out for them and is incensed when the magistrate cuts their wages after one too many failures since it means they can't pay for medical attention. He's insulted when a corrupt rich man attempts to bribe him out in the open to look the other way after he makes a ruckus at Yang's clinic and has him arrested. When Fei-Hung gets sick while in prison, he allows Yang to take him to the clinic for treatment and kept under effective "house arrest". He also shows disgust with his more evil co-workers. [[spoiler: Unsurprisingly he pulls a HeelFaceTurn towards the end.]]

* RealSongThemeTune: Wong Fei-Hung's theme song, used in countless other media to the same effect, and originating as a folk song called "On the General's Orders", but now commonly referred to as "A Man Should Strive to Better Himself".

* AntiVillain: Chief Fox is the only character working for the corrupt government who isn't portrayed as a complete scumbag. While he occasionally berates his men for incompetence, he does look out for them and is incensed when the magistrate cuts their wages after one too many failures since it means they can't pay for medical attention. He's insulted when a corrupt rich man attempts to bribe him out in the open to look the other way after he makes a ruckus at Yang's clinic and has him arrested. He also shows disgust with his more evil co-workers. [[spoiler: Unsurprisingly he pulls a HeelFaceTurn towards the end.]]

%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Hin-hung.

* BadAssAdorable: You might think Wong Fei-Hung would have trouble fighting on his own, but then you remember that his father is a martial arts folk hero, and that [[FutureBadass he'll grow up to be one himself]]...
* BadAssBookWorm: Yang is simultaneously an exceptionally competent doctor and a guy who can beat up Shaolin monks and guards without breaking a sweat. Of course, so is Wong Kei-Ying.
* BattleAmongstTheFlames: Iron Monkey and Wong Kei-Ying are afraid they might have to do this [[spoiler: if they take too long and the poles burn down in the final fight]].

%%* DarkActionGirl: The Witch.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: Because of his incompetance, the magistrate ends up being replaced by Hin-hung, a far more competent and terrifying governer who also happens to have Shaolin training.

* DressingAsTheEnemy: Yang and Orchid pretend to be an inspecter and his assistant in order to both provide more food to the townspeople and also extort the magistrate for money.

''Iron Monkey'', starring Yu Rongguang and Creator/DonnieYen, is the 1993 fictionalized account of an episode in the childhood of Wong Fei-Hung, better known to American audiences as the protagonist of the smash hit Martial Arts film series ''Film/OnceUponATimeInChina'', starring Creator/JetLi. The premise can be summed up in four words: [[JustLikeRobinHood Robin Hood]] [[AC: [[RecycledInSpace in China]]!]]

* BadAssAdorable: You might think Wong Fei-Hung would have trouble fighting on his own, but then you remember that his father is a martial arts folk hero...

* AntiVillain: Chief Fox is the only character working for the corrupt government who isn't portrayed as a complete scumbag. [[spoiler: Unsurprisingly he pulls a HeelFaceTurn towards the end.]]

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Chief Fox undergoes this after Hin-hung abuses Fei-Hung one too many times]].

* LetsYouAndHimFight: The Iron Monkey and Wong Kei-Ying battle in the movie before [[spoiler: joining forces.]]

* MistakenIdentity: The governer orders his guards to arrest anyone who has any association with the word "monkey". This includes a man practicing monkey-style kung fu, a man selling monkey palm powder, and a man who sneezes like a monkey, as well as an actual monkey.

'''Iron Monkey:''' ''*casually dodges her attack and flips her headgear around to block her view*'' "You're so ugly it's ''no wonder'' you're a virgin."

%%* BigBad: Hin-hung.

* {{Poison is Evil}}: Subverted. While [[spoiler: Hin-hung does use poison on both Yang and Wong Kei-Ying through his Buddha's Palm, Yang combats the poison by using the venom from other poisonous creatures as an antidote.]]

* {{Suspect is Hatless}}: Iron Monkey's outfit is loose and all black, also covering every facial feature except the eyes, so when Yang suggests one of his neighbors as the titular thief, Fox just sighs and says that everyone's starting to look like they could be the Iron Monkey.

While Yang is busy [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments patching up the guards he was beating the crap out of last night and making polite conversation with the man obsessed with catching him]], a man named Wong Kei-Ying arrives in town and immediately becomes the victim of an attempted mugging. Wong Kei-Ying is one of the Ten Tigers of Canton, the ten greatest warriors of RealLife 19th Century Southern China, as well as a well-regarded doctor. Travelling with him is his young son [[Film/OnceUponATimeInChina Wong]] [[DrunkenMaster Fei-Hung]], who will one day inherit his father's Canton Clinic of ''Po Chi Lam'' and his status as a folk hero.

* MistakenIdentity: The governer orders his guards to arrest anyone who has any association with the word "monkey". This includes a man practicing monkey-style kung fu, a man selling monkey palm powder, and a man who [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments sneezes like a monkey]], as well as an actual monkey.

* HoldingHands: Pays off in a {{Crowning Moment of Heartwarming}}. Early in the film, Fei-Hung sees a child holding his father's hand and tries to do the same with his father, only to be scolded for not acting more mature. Later, once the two are reunited, while Wong Kei-Ying praises Fei-Hung for having matured during their separation, he grabs onto Fei-Hung's hand and is clearly reluctant to let go, a fact which doesn't escape Fei-Hung's notice.

While Yang is busy [[CrowningMomentOfFunny patching up the guards he was beating the crap out of last night and making polite conversation with the man obsessed with catching him]], a man named Wong Kei-Ying arrives in town and immediately becomes the victim of an attempted mugging. Wong Kei-Ying is one of the Ten Tigers of Canton, the ten greatest warriors of RealLife 19th Century Southern China, as well as a well-regarded doctor. Travelling with him is his young son [[Film/OnceUponATimeInChina Wong]] [[DrunkenMaster Fei-Hung]], who will one day inherit his father's Canton Clinic of ''Po Chi Lam'' and his status as a folk hero.

* MistakenIdentity: The governer orders his guards to arrest anyone who has any association with the word "monkey". This includes a man practicing monkey-style kung fu, a man selling monkey palm powder, and a man who [[CrowningMomentofFunny sneezes like a monkey]], as well as an actual monkey.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

Meanwhile, because the lecherous magistrate has proved incapable of apprehending Iron Monkey, the corrupt Manchu government sends a treacherous Shaolin monk to replace him, setting the stage for a cataclysmic final battle [[spoiler: atop a forest of poles in a literal sea of fire]].