Harockerce What a beautiful movie!

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

poe426 Opera star Chan (Liu Chia-liang) has a drinking problem; Duan (Lo Lieh), who doesn't like the idea of competent kung fu practitioners walking around free, takes advantage of that fact and frames Chan for the rape of Lieh's wife. Chan can't remember the night in question: he was drunk at the time, you see... As punishment for his alleged transgression, Duan has Chan's hands broken (to prevent his practice of kung fu). Chan ends up buying a performing monkey, Ah Mo, and begging for money on the streets. There he meets "Little Monkey," a thief who looks and acts like a monkey. When protection racket strongmen murder Ah Mo (in what's easily the most moving scene in the movie), Little Monkey takes his place panhandling. Chan eventually teaches Little Monkey Monkey Fist Kung Fu (in some of the best training scenes you're ever likely to see). They then set out to rout the ruffians. MAD MONKEY KUNG FU is more fun than a barrel of monkeys; like THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, it's also a kind of how-to kung fu movie. Both stars display some amazing agility throughout. A solid 8 out of ten.

RomanceNovelist I love the movie. It is actually, my favorite Kung Fu movie and Hsiao Hou is my favorite Kung Fu star. Now, I prefer to watch these movies with sub-titles. The British actor voicing little monkey's character, and the one voicing for Ah Choi's sounded ridiculous and were difficult to understand sometimes because the audio would become very low. This doesn't help because they sound so horribly whiny. I think these bad voice over actors do an injustice to the actors on screen. Should have used American voice over. My copy did not have subtitles.Despite this, I was still able to enjoy the performances by all...Lau Kar Leung, Hsiao Hou as well as the supporting cast. Some will not like the comedic facial expressions by Hsiao Hou, but all of it is to make him look and behave like a monkey. The story begins with Chan (Lau Kar Leung) whose hands are crippled by thugs after he is falsely accused of rape... a trick staged by a local gang boss who hopes to claim Chan's sister (Kara Hui) as his concubine. He ultimately succeeds when she sacrifices herself in order to spare her brother's life.Many years later, Chan is a street merchant with a monkey show. His hands are crippled as a result of the beating given to him after the "rape" charge. He is also bullied by local thugs who works for the big boss. He meets an orphan who calls himself little Monkey. Little Monkey takes pity on Chan and befriends him. They become roommates, and ultimately work together after Chan's real monkey is killed by thugs when he refuses to give them the money they want.Little Monkey looks (check out the haircut) and acts like a real monkey so he fits the show perfectly. But Little Monkey is tired of being shaken down by the thugs and wants to do something about it. He tries to fight them, but is badly beaten. Chan agrees to teach him the Monkey style, and so the epic training sequences begin and for me, that makes the movie. Little Monkey is eager to get back at the thugs, and leaves his training early. He's learned everything about the Monkey style except its most crucial skill, which is HITTING your opponent. He leaves training early, against the wishes of Chan, his sifu. Little Monkey challenges and and humiliates the gang in a hilarious fight. They finally take him to meet their boss, Ah Choi, who is also beaten and humiliated by Monkey. Then finally, the big boss appears and Little Monkey is badly defeated and saved by Chan's sister, who is injured in the fight. He also learns about the trick and the false rape charge.Little Monkey tells Chan about the trick. Chan agrees that Little Monkey must complete his training first. The results are awesome. They go back to rescue the sister and things happen. I won't spoil the ending but it's pretty cool.Some of the best, if not THE best, acrobatics in a Kung Fu movie are displayed by Hsiao Hou and that was also very enjoyable for me. Even the smaller gestures, jumps, and flips seem so natural, it's like watching a fish in water.Mad Monkey Kung Fu is your standard Kung Fu movie. An underdog learns Fung Fu to avenge his master. But in the end... so few movie are done as well.

JinxsterJones This is another great movie I had the good fortune to see for the first time on the big screen (thanks to Rick Baker et al). Back in the late 80's I was a relative newcomer to the genre and only really knew about the big three JC, SH & YB. I wasn't sure what to expect when I paid my hard earned money to see this in a "Triple bill of Classics" at the old Scala. I need not have worried, I was left breathless by this movie. If you're a fan of Hong Kong Action / Kung Fu movies and haven't seen this movie, do so NOW! I recently watched this movie again, bit of a nostalgia weekend (May 2011), and was blown away all over again. Really is a top notch Kung Fu movie, they don't get much better! I'm pretty sure I will not be leaving it quite so long before it gets another viewing!

madalaoni But this is a great martial arts film. Liu Chia Liang ranks second to none as a fight choreographer, only Sammo Hung at his best compares. This is immediately clear from his proud exhibition of technique -rather than flashy camera angles etc. - during fights. The direction is tightly controlled to not only excite the viewer by the speed and movement but to awe her with the precise skill displayed. This film benefits also from Liu's participation in front of the camera. Liu's performance at the banquet scene with which the film opens is one of the high points in kung fu movie history. Liu is supported by the beautiful and talented Hui Ying Hung (of My Young Auntie fame) and 'Hsiao Hou' whose acrobatics are breathtaking, and preferable to any amount of wirework As for the plot , this film follows the not uncommon theme of revenge, but with character and moral development along the way, and a most fitting resolution. The humour in this is also of the best. If you only watch one kung fu film ever, this would be a good choice- it has it all.