'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.
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.