Mad Monkey Kung Fu

Lau Kar-leung's 1979 Hong Kong film is among the best fight comedies from the Shaw Brothers studio. A former kung fu master whose hands are crippled falls to working as a street vendor; meeting a hot-tempered young man who helps him, he decides to teach him monkey boxing. Lau directs, takes a lead role and designs the fights, and the film's value comes from that. The monkey style is one of the hardest forms of imitative combat, and Hsiao Ho's physical performance is extraordinary. The balance of comedy and seriousness is well judged: the crippling at the start is genuinely harsh and makes the desire for revenge behind it convincing. The story is simple and predictable. Who it's for: viewers who love classic Hong Kong martial arts films and Lau Kar-leung's work. Who it's not for: anyone wanting deep character writing, or who would rather not watch an opening section unaware it implies sexual violence.