gorthu Sammo stars as a man who is learning kung fu so that he can fight the Manchus. The directing from Sammo is good, the camera-work is brilliant, the story is decent, and the fights are very good for 1977. Fung Hak-on plays the main villain, and Yen Shi Kwan and Chien Yuet San play his top 2 henchmen. Always nice to see those 3 in action. Chen Sing has a small role and unfortunately he doesn't get to show off his handwork as much as he usually does. But he's still a great actor so I liked his role. If you have seen most of Sammo's movies and are looking for something else to feed your Sammo craving, then give this a try.Picture and sound quality on the 20th century Fox DVD are good.

BA_Harrison Iron Fisted Monk, heavyweight HK superstar Sammo Hung's directorial debut, is a powerful old school kung fu movie which sees the portly one at his physical peak on screen as well as calling the shots behind the camera.The story is a familiar one of revenge and retribution, but it is told with style and verve and features some truly incredible martial arts sequences.Husker (Sammo) is a student of the Shaolin monks, learning kung fu so that he can avenge his uncle, who was murdered by the nasty Manchus who control the province. He leaves his training early, desperate to teach the killers a lesson and teams up with a martial artist monk (Chan Sing) who is teaching a group of factory workers how to defend themselves. When the Manchus attack the factory and kill everyone there, Husker and his Buddhist pal decide it's time to even the score.Sammo directs this polished film with surprising skill and delivers a superb movie that blends humour, action and some moments of shocking violence. The scenes of sexual violence (there a couple of nasty rapes perpetrated by the Manchu baddies) may be hard to take at times, but they do give the viewers a real good reason to want to see the Manchus get their comeuppance.The final fight scene is a fantastic display of athletic agility, superb choreography and totally mind-blowing action. Sammo's first movie is a brilliant example of late 70s HK movie-making and should be seen by all fans of the genre.

kwhuneycutt The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977) is Sammo Hung's brilliant directorial debut. Though the revenge plot is average for kung fu films of the time, the martial arts action and choreography are extraordinary. Iron-Fisted Monk marked the beginning of Hung's movie making prime. In the late 70's and early 80's Hung stared in and directed some of his best films including: Warriors Two, The Magnificent Butcher, The Prodigal Son, Knockabout and The Victim. The Iron-Fisted Monk was the film that got his directorial career rolling.In the Iron-Fisted Monk, Sammo Hung plays "Husker," a young civilian who is taken in and trained by Shaolin monks after his uncle was killed by the Manchus. Seeking vengeance he eventually leaves the temple. After a group of Manchu officials make trouble in a small town, Husker teams up with a local man named Liang and the "iron fisted monk" Brother Tak (Chan Sing) to finally bring justice to the evil Manchu officials.The martial arts action and choreography in this film are unbelievable. The film features some of the "hardest" kung fu you will ever see in a Sammo Hung film. Sammo does a great job playing to his strengths, providing a good mixture of martial arts and acrobatics. When this film was made Sammo was young and very near his physical prime. He is very fast and powerful and gives one of his better physical performances. Chan Sing also gives one of the most inspired physical performances of his career. Along with kung fu, the film features a lot of weapon fighting including: swords, spears, knifes and staffs.The film was made by Golden Harvest studios, which means high production values and a talented stable of actors to work with. Notable appearances in the film include: James Tien as a Shaolin instructor, Casanova Wong as a young monk and Lam Ching-ying as an extra. Fung Hak-on (Warriors Two, Magnificent Butcher) plays the villain yet again and does a very convincing job.Unlike many of Hung's films, Iron-Fisted Monk has a very serious tone. There are some comedic touches but they are overpowered by the intense drama. The Iron-Fisted Monk is one of Hung's more violent films, featuring very aggressive fight sequences and lots of bloodshed. The movie also includes a few brutal rape scenes. The rape scenes are very graphic and intense and, in my opinion, should have been toned down or left out completely. There is also a ridiculous nude scene in a brothel featuring Wu Ma. The scene was meant for comic relief but should have been left out also. The rape and nude scenes are the only detractions to this otherwise brilliant martial arts film.The Iron-Fisted Monk was Sammo Hung's first effort as a filmmaker, but it is hard to tell. The martial arts action in the film is superb and outshines most other films made at the time. There are a few weak spots but overall it is a top notch genre film. The Iron-Fisted Monk is one of Sammo Hung's best works and is definitely in the top 30 best martial arts films of all time. The film is definitely not a family friendly Sammo movie but it is highly recommended for hard core kung fu genre buffs.Martial Arts Genre Rating: 8/10 "You're a Shaolin monk. How dare you kill indiscriminately!" "We're here to rid this world of a rapist and a murderer!"

Kilian Sabre Sammo's directorial debut is a mixed bag with some great fight scenes, decent comedy, and unpleasant scenes of violence. The plot, which rolls along almost painfully a times, centers around Husker (Sammo Hung) seeking revenge against the Machus for killing his uncle. Along the way to actually taking revenge he befriends a man who's daughter is raped by the local Manchu official and ultimately enlists in the aid of his wandering monk friend, Brother Tak, to take on the Manchus. The plot changes direction so many times that one has to wonder if it was made up as they went along. There are a couple rape scenes midway through the movie that are unnecessarily explicit and go on much too long. As the movie progresses though we are treated to some decent martial arts sequence, which are not as elaborate as Sammo's later works, but fast paced and solid none the less. Worth watching for the fight sequences, but sitting through the plot might turn you off of the movie before you get to them.