feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like Iron Monkey (1993)

If you loved Iron Monkey, the closest films we have are Training Day (2001), A Better Tomorrow (1986) and Lady Snowblood (1973). All three share Iron Monkey's kinetic and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on fuboTV, Criterion Channel and HBO Max Amazon Channel and others, checked against today's data.

In this Hong Kong variation of Robin Hood, corrupt officials of a Chinese village are robbed by a masked bandit known as "Iron Monkey", named after a benevolent deity. When all else fails, the Governor forces a traveling physician into finding the bandit.

πŸ… 91% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.5 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Yuen Woo-pingkineticgrittycontemplative

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If Iron Monkey hit the spot, these will too

Training Day poster
Training Day
2001 Β· dir. Antoine Fuqua
πŸ… 74%β˜… 7.8action Β· crime Β· drama

The same mix in both: momentum, then grit

On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears.

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A Better Tomorrow poster
A Better Tomorrow
1986 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.4action Β· crime Β· drama

Action with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

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Lady Snowblood poster
Lady Snowblood
1973 Β· dir. Toshiya Fujita
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.6action Β· crime Β· drama

Both trade on momentum more than on being crime

The difference: A 1970s film, from a different era of filmmaking

A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.

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Batman Begins poster
Batman Begins
2005 Β· dir. Christopher Nolan
πŸ… 85%β˜… 8.2drama Β· crime Β· action

Both circle martial arts and secret identity

Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.

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The Killer poster
The Killer
1989 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.7action Β· crime Β· drama

Drama built on grit, twice over

The difference: Leans thriller where Iron Monkey does not

Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.

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The Dark Knight Rises poster
The Dark Knight Rises
2012 Β· dir. Christopher Nolan
πŸ… 87%β˜… 8.4action Β· crime Β· drama

Secret identity is the engine of both

Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

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Once Upon a Time in China poster
Once Upon a Time in China
1991 Β· dir. Tsui Hark
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.2action Β· drama

Both built around kung fu

The difference: Missing the grit of Iron Monkey

In late 19th-century Canton, legendary hero Wong Fei-Hung battles foreign forces' (English, French and American) plundering of China. When Aunt Yee returns from America totally westernised, Wong assumes the role of protector. This proves difficult when his martial arts school and local militia become involved in fierce battles with foreign and local governments. As violence escalates, even Aunt Yee has to question her new western ideals, but is it possible to fight guns with Kung Fu?

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Bob le Flambeur poster
Bob le Flambeur
1956 Β· dir. Jean-Pierre Melville
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.6drama Β· action Β· crime

Contemplative action in both cases

In Paris, Bob Montagne is practically synonymous with gambling -- and winning. He is kind, classy and well-liked by virtually everyone in town, including police inspector Ledru. However, when Bob's luck turns sour, he begins to lose friends and makes the most desperate gamble of his life: to rob the Deauville casino during Grand Prix weekend, when the vaults are full. Unfortunately, Bob soon learns that the game is rigged and the cops are on to him.

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Heat poster
Heat
1995 Β· dir. Michael Mann
πŸ… 84%β˜… 8.3crime Β· drama Β· action

Kinetic crime, and it commits to that

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

Feels alike?
Mesrine: Killer Instinct poster
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
2008 Β· dir. Jean-FranΓ§ois Richet
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.5drama Β· action Β· thriller

Both trade on grit more than on being drama

Jacques Mesrine, a loyal son and dedicated soldier, is back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido, Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder.

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The Street Fighter poster
The Street Fighter
1974 Β· dir. Shigehiro Ozawa
β˜… 6.9action Β· crime Β· thriller

Both keep circling back to martial arts

Takuma Tsurugi takes on the government, the police, the mafia and an international ring of kidnappers who aim to dispossess a beautiful young heiress of her millions.

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Scarface poster
Scarface
1983 Β· dir. Brian De Palma
πŸ… 77%β˜… 8.3action Β· crime Β· drama

Both trade on stillness more than on being action

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

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The best-reviewed films that share Iron Monkey's defining feeling.