From director Mar Lo (Shaolin Thief), and starring Siu-Tung Ching (The Shaolin Boxer) comes this fast-moving Wuxia classic from the legendary Shaw Brothers studio. When prisoner Ching is given half of a wooden keepsake by a one eyed-master about to be executed, he breaks out of prison to go in search of the other half to discover its purpose. However, on his quest he is pursued by a gang leader who will also stop at nothing to find out its secrets. Embroiling mystical promise, an adventurous journey and a search for the truth into its winding storyline, Money Kung Fu AKA Stroke of Death is a uniquely satisfying late seventies delve into the magical world of martial arts Hong Kong cinema.
For thoughts on Monkey Kung Fu, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/DcSe3clAjBA?t=1765]
Video Quality
Monkey Kung Fu comes to Blu-Ray via 88 Films with a 1080p master in its original aspect ratio derived from the original camera negatives. This new release offers an overall solid presentation, but this ranks among the lesser Shaw Brothers presentations that have been released in the recent past. The strongest part of this transfer is the lovely color saturation throughout with vibrant colors in the costumes and production design. There are a handful of shots that present as soft or even a bit unfocused, which is usually a sign of poor source elements available. There is not much in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not really exhibit any compression artifacts. While fine detail can be observed, especially in the costumes and the production design, the transfer does appear to have some light DNR applied to rob it a bit of its organic appearance and give it a subtly smoother appearance. The anamorphic framing also occasionally looks a bit stretched or squeezed at points. While not without a few minor issues, 88 Films has provided fans with a suitable high definition presentation.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray presents the film with a LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Cantonese along with an English dub for those who desire a more compromised experience. Even if artistic purity is not your concern, the Cantonese track offers the most pleasant sounding of the two tracks. Although, both tracks struggle with presenting as a bit brash at the high end of the spectrum. The score primarily maintains a decent fidelity with only a bit of age related wear and tear. As per the usual with this genre, the film employs some hard-hitting sound effects in the mix that are given the appropriate weight. Dialogue is mostly clear and distinguishable throughout the film. The track sounds a bit boxy which can take you out of the experience at points. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. 88 Films has done their best to present this film as best as they can with the elements available.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast On Fire Network deliver an information-packed and fun commentary track in which they discusses the career of the talent involved, where this film fits within the Shaw Brothers filmography and the genre at large, the tone of the picture, the use of props within the story, the sets that were used for filming and more.
- Stunting Around – An Interview with Choreographer Tony Leung Siu-Hung: A 15-minute interview in which the choreographer discusses getting involved with the movie industry, learning from the best, the different approaches to kung fu filmmaking, the particulars of constructing a scene and more.
- Original Trailer: The four-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Monkey Kung Fu delivers some really fun and hard-hitting action sequences at a pretty consistent clip, typically with an undercurrent of humor. This is one of the more energetic tales I have consumed from the Shaw Brothers recently, focusing more on the spectacle than the straightforward story. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a passable A/V presentation and some interesting special features. If you want an especially kinetic kung-fu film, be sure to check this one out. Recommended
Monkey Kung Fu is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: 88 Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.

Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.