Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash Date: 03/25/2007 Repetitive and uneven "Mad Monkey Kung Fu" never reaches the heights it is capable of and with each passing sequence of tomfoolery, the humor only threatens to get better. That being said the acrobatic skill of the two leads is hard to brush aside even when this seemingly family-friendly gung fu film meets head-on with visceral mean-spiritedness. Director Liu Chia Liang portrays a master of the monkey fist in his first starring role. Hsiao Ho is a pickpocket cum student cum monkey fist master looking to settle a score with Shaw Brothers baddy Lo Lieh for framing and ordering the crippling of his master. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Gaijin84 Date: 06/08/2006 Summary: I want to learn Monkey Fist kung fu! After being duped into thinking he's committed the rape of the wife of a gangster (Lo Lieh), opera performer and martial arts master Chan (Liu Chia-Liang) and his sister (Kara Hui) agree to have his hands crippled and her to become a mistress in the gangster's brothel. Chan is forced to work on the street with a pet monkey for spare change until thugs start to shake him down for money. After they brutally slaughter his monkey, a local vagrant (Hsiao Ho), befriends him and persuades Chan to teach him the Monkey Fist style in order to exact revenge. Swearing that he will never fight again, Chan agrees and trains Hsiao for his mission. However, when Hsiao returns to report that the same thugs work for the gangster and his sister was injured, Chan decides to take matters into his own hands. Mad Monkey Kung Fu is one of those films that makes you want to run away to China and take up exotic styles of martial arts. Liu Chia-Liang's films are a blast to watch, with exciting training sequences, clever plots that hook you quickly and fantastic fight choreography. Mad Monkey Kung Fu is certainly no exception as Liu tutors real-life student Hsiao Ho in the finer points of Monkey Fist kung fu. Although there is some silly slap-stick humor that doesn't quite work, the absolutely incredible final training sequence and climatic fight more than make up for it. Lo Lieh is also very menacing as the gangster Duan, especially in the scene in which Little Monkey (Hsiao Ho) is captured and nearly killed. Kara Hui also has a good fighting scene in which she can showcase her skills. It should be noted as well that there seems to be some sound effects added to the Celestial Pictures release of this film. There is a quick scene as Hsiao Ho fights San Sin in which his punches are accompanied by video game effects. A little distracting considering the film was released in 1979, only 2 years after the Atari debuted. Overall though, a very enjoyable martial arts drama/comedy that will live up to your expectations of Liu Chia-Liang. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 05/22/2004 **** MAD MONKEY KUNG FU: The story is pretty basic kung fu comedy stuff, perhaps a little better than average. However, the film is enlivened significantly by the great fight choreography. Very fast, intricate and inventive. Hsiao Hao is a great acrobat and very likeable, and director Lau Kar Leung shows even more impressive skills. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 04/10/2004 Summary: Not bad, but not great!! This movie i feel was design to be more of a family friendly movie even though a scene of busting hands if taken out would probably reduce it's viewing rating It's a sad sympathy story of kung fu with some comedy thrown in. The action itself i didn't find that great but entertaining enough for me to sit threw the whole movie I think i had greater expectations of this movie and unfortunately it wasn't met 6/10

Reviewed by: GlennS Date: 05/29/2000 This excellent film stars Liu Chia-liang (who also directed and did action choreography) as a Peking Opera performer and monkey stylist who along with his sister (Kara Hui Ying-hung) visit wealthy brothel owner Lo Lieh after a performance. Lo Lieh has his eyes on Kara to be part of his business so he blackmails Liu and through a chain of events, Liu's hands become crippled. Liu becomes a street performer who along the way meets a young troublemaker (Hsiao Ho) who always stirs up trouble with the local militia. Eventually Liu takes Hsiao as his student and teaches him "Monkey Kung-fu" to exact revenge on Lo Lieh. MMKF isn't at the level of Liu Chia-liang's best directorial works (Challenge of the Ninja and 8 Diagram Pole Fighter) but it's still a very enjoyable film with good humor and wonderful Monkey style displays. 8/10 Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: battlemonkey Date: 12/21/1999 A street performer and his sister run afoul of a lustyvillain who kills the sister and frames the performer for rape. The performer (played by Liu Chia Liang) teams up with a pickpocket to beat the villain Good because, although Liu Chia Liang appears in almost all of his own films, this one of the few in which he has the starring role. However, all else considered, this is a fairly run-of- the-mill film, although it's light years better than most other run of the mill films.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 Liu Chia Liang takes a leading role in his own film. We get to see the man himself in action instructing Kung Fu to Hsiao Ho. I've not been more excited since Liu's cameo in "Pedicab Driver" where he quite rightly beats Sammo Hung to a pulp for making fun of his older style. Technically it's not "Dirty Ho"; Morally it's not "Challenge of the ninja"; for humour it's not "Return of Master Killer" - AND Gordon Liu Chia Hui is not in it. BUT, the 'four blows' are in it and any film directed by Liu is fine by me. Look out for Hsiao Ho's amazing skills and , of course, the 'four blows'. [Reviewed by Andrew Best]