Iron Monkey (1993)

A familiar set-up of a masked individual who steals from the rich to give to the poor; in this case the stealing is from a corrupt government official who hoards gold and obsesses over capturing the generous hero of the people.
The big difference is that it's a HK martial arts movie directed by Yuen Woo-ping. Combat is wildly impressive but very much on the fantastical side. The acting and ofttimes even the structure play second fiddle to it. But the skill of the performers is undeniably masterful, even from the film's youngest star, Angie Tsang (Tsang Sze-Man) as Wong Fei-Hung. Despite its failings elsewhere, Iron Monkey is a defining classic of the 90s martial arts genre.

4 named stances out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997)

aka: Once Upon a Time in China 6

Look at the poster art! Jet Li is back as Wong Fei-Hung! Yay!
Sadly, that's where the celebrations end because this final entry in the OUaTiC series is an abomination. Sammo Hung directs and choreographs an uncharacteristically lazy Tsui Hark script, filled with characters that have no reason to be there other than to advance the clichéd plot. Reversing the cultural situation and blending the Martial Arts film with the Western is an interesting idea, but it's never fully capitalised upon.
Jet made worse films than this when he went to America, but surely this must be his worst Hong Kong film?

1½ English speaking native Indians out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China 5 (1995)

OUaTiC Part 5 is a reunion of sorts with Porky Wing, Bucktooth So, 13th Aunt, 14th Aunt, Clubfoot, Foon and Wong Kei-ying all sharing screen space! The only one still missing is Jet Li, meaning Vincent Zhao plays Wong Fei-hung for the second time. Tsui Hark resumes directing. Yuen Bun goes back to fight choreography duties.
Despite being spread thin over the many characters, and again lacking the weighty politics of the early entries, the plot is richer than part 4.

3 kung-fu pirates out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China 4 (1993)

Jet Li left the OUaTiC series to go make Fong Sai Yuk. Rosamund Kwan also left. Vincent Zhao took over as Wong Fei-Hung. Yuen Bun, who served as martial arts choreographer on the third film, took the director chair so that Tsui could write and produce only.
Can a film series survive that kind of disruption? Surprisingly, yes! If it wasn't Wong Fei-Hung I'd have my doubts, but the character endures even if the star changes. A familiar supporting cast, familiar locations and the now synonymous music all help it feel genuine. What lets it down is having a story that needed more emotion.

3 coloured lanterns out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China 3 (1993)

Wong Fei-Hung can kick seven shades of shinola out of a bad guy, but he’s a genuine amateur when it comes to romance. That part of his character is further explored in the third instalment, making it a lot funnier than the previous two. Tsui also remembers to layer the laughter with tragedy, because one without the other is only half a story.
The wire-work is once again exceptional and builds to an amazing finale that won’t disappoint fans of the series.

3½ Lion Heads out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992)

OUaTiC 2 was the 100th film to depict the life of Wong Fei-Hung, so they needed to do something special to mark the occasion. Both Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan reprise their respective roles. They got Donnie Yen to join in the action this time; he gets frenetic with his pole.
The first half focusses mainly on character development, and the second half on action. There was no way they could surpass the ladder scene from the previous film, but they gave it a damn good try.

3½ needles in the face out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

Jet Li takes on the role of legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung. He tries desperately to hold onto traditional values while an ugly foreign presence threatens to tear China apart.
The feeling that an era is ending fills the film with poignancy and is perhaps most evident in Shi-Kwan Yen’s magnificent performance. He’s not the star of the show, but he’s the one that draws my sympathies most.
OUaTiC was my introduction to Tsui Hark's film-making style and remains the benchmark by which I measure all his other works.

4½ shadowless kicks out of 5