Iron Monkey
Miramax Films | Release Date: October 12, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film ThreatChristopher Varney
Despite my ignorance of Hong Kong, I'm convinced that Iron Monkey could be the best, most entertaining martial arts film I may ever see. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
Where it really counts, though, it's the same good old comic action fantasy. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
If Asian martial arts movies interest you even a little bit, you're going to want to see Iron Monkey. Not only that, you're going to want to see it more than once. Read full review
90
New Times (L.A.)Andy Klein
It's funny, heroic, exaggerated and, most of all, energetic; the film speeds along as though afraid to lose the audience's attention for even a moment. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Now the movie can be seen for what it was all along, remarkable by any standards.
90
SlateDavid Edelstein
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 full review
88
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Viewers impressed by the fairly standard martial-arts action of "Crouching Tiger" will really be wowed after seeing this film.
88
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
The characters may be speaking Chinese, but such rousing entertainment needs no translation.
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
This superficial plot, almost devoid of characterization or weighty emotions, is an excuse for ferocious, fast and frequent combat. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Gravity-defying kung fu choreography. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Lacks the poetic and romantic resonance of "Crouching Tiger," but it's got kicks aplenty -- of both the physical and the sensational kind -- and it lands them again and again. Read full review
80
The New York TimesDave Kehr
Saving the big number for the climax, like any good musical director, Mr. Yuen finishes up with a spectacular variation on the traditional kung fu pole fight. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Not only visually brilliant, it's funny, too. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
A guilt-free, no-fat dessert from start to finish. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Scenes of ingenious slapstick violence. Read full review
80
Mr. ShowbizCody Clark
High drama this ain't. And yet, anyone looking for a hearty banquet of gymnastic, kung-fu tomfoolery won't walk away hungry.
75
Boston GlobeJay Carr
They're as special as special effects get.
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
It's indescribable fun. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
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 full review
75
Miami HeraldCharles Savage
The creative vigor of its originality, distilled in a pure and unadulterated form, is simply exhilarating. Read full review
75
USA TodayMike Clark
A long-on-video 1993 release now restored to its original Cantonese with different music and more audio pop. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
A pure font of high-flying kung fu artistry, the likes of which has since transformed the way Hollywood's good guys and bad kick the crap out of one another. Read full review
70
Washington PostRita Kempley
Showcases its cast's athleticism and Ping's kinetic high-wire artistry. But unlike similar Western-made fare, it doesn't take itself seriously. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
The requisite set piece, which will remind you of the treetop sequence in "Crouching Tiger," involves a fight atop a forest of burning poles, exactly the kind of thing you want in a movie like this. Read full review
63
New York PostJonathan Foreman
No "Crouching Tiger." It lacks the richness of theme and performance that made Ang Lee's film so emotionally satisfying. In fact, watching Iron Monkey makes you realize just how Western and literary the sensibility of "Crouching Tiger" was. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not credited)
Martial arts spectacles don't come more spectacular than this, and Yuen bestows a quality of grace on the entire production. Read full review
60
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Anyone expecting the decorous serenity of the Ang Lee film should be aware that Iron Monkey strives for no more or less than comic-strip thwack and thump. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
The movie is never engaging on anything but a superficial level, and it gradually gets decidedly tiresome. Read full review
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