Directed by Yuen Woo-ping who later choreographed the action of The Matrix series and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Iron Monkey is a fictional entry into the mythology of patriot Wong Fei-Hung, a hero of Chinese pop culture since the 1950s. In this Fei-Hung is portrayed as a young boy travelling with his father and drawing inspiration from the activities and stories of an anti-hero bandit known as the Iron Monkey, who the pair eventually meet. The film featured martial arts star Donnie Yen and benefitted from stunningly fast fight scenes, with one famously staged while balancing on a set of wooden poles.