Shaonian huang feihong zhi tie maliu (Iron Monkey)

China, mid-19th century: the corrupt regime plunges people into poverty. In order to treat the destitute for free, Dr Yang collects money from rich patients - and disguises himself at night as the ‘Iron Monkey’ for Robin Hood-style raids. The enraged governor sets his sights on another martial arts doctor (Donnie Yen) and forces him to search for the robber, but he quickly takes the right side. An almost insurmountable adversary appears in the form of an unscrupulous and greedy Shaolin traitor. The prototypical plot (including the obligatory comedy interludes) serves Yuen Woo-ping as a hook for the staggered escalation of his spectacular action scenes, culminating in the final furioso on burning posts. Along the way, producer-writer Tsui Hark continues his Once Upon a Time in China project: its historical protagonist Wong Fei-hung, the hero of hundreds of Hong Kong films, can be seen in a key role as a teenager. (Christoph Huber)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum