VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Steineded How sad is this?

Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Leofwine_draca I had to watch this because a) it was the first ever animated film made in China, and b) it's an adaptation of part of the classic JOURNEY TO THE WEST series of stories featuring the lovable 'Monkey' and his companions. PRINCESS IRON FAN is short and action packed, and surprisingly well animated for its time. You have to remember that in 1941 China was in the middle of being occupied by Japan, so it's amazing that they managed to make any films during those turbulent times.The free-flowing animation in this film is one of the things that makes it so easy to watch. The source material is also delightful and the characters instantly recognisable. I was intrigued to see how the animation of the characters is clearly inspired by the look and feel of the early Mickey Mouse cartoons. Some of it is quite juvenile, but the most off-putting thing I found was the way that 90% of the dialogue is shouted, which makes this become tiresome very quickly.

MissSimonetta This was the first Chinese animated feature film and I must say the animation itself is impressive. The use of rotorscoping added more than it detracted from the movie, and lent a surreal quality to the atmosphere. The story was handled well enough that it makes me wish to seek out the picture's source material, Journey to the West, since the plot here only covers a fraction of the heroes' adventure.My problem with Princess Iron Fan is that it feels more like an overlong short subject rather than a feature. While the slapstick routines are charming at first, they go on for much too long, making the eighty minute running time feel like an eternity. This one is more for animation geeks and fans of Chinese cinema than anybody else.

dbborroughs First feature length animated film from China is a retelling of some of the story of the Monkey King. Three travelers are stopped in there travels by a huge area of fire. The fire can only be conquered by a fan in the possession of the titled character. They must get the fan from her and deal with further complications if they want to continue on their way.Historically important film is a mixed bag when it comes to entertainment. I know part of the problem, at least to these Western eyes is that the film storytelling is not in a style I'm used to. Its similar in a way to the classic forms of Chinese entertainment. Its also very much of the time with the film looking and acting like other films from the period which in all honesty are not my cup of tea.The animation is a mix of straight animation and rotoscoped action. Ralph Bakshi has argued that in many cases the use of rotoscoping was more in use than we might like to admit, but here the the effect is out in front in all its glory.The more fantastical elements are not rotoscoped- after all how does one copy a fire demon? The background designs are actually quite beautiful, and along with some of the character design the film often takes on the quality of a classical painting come to life.That said, the film can be dull. The film goes on and on in a couple of different directions and it has sequences (a follow the bouncing ball one for example) that make it very much for a specific audience. Its not bad, but it just means that my interest wandered from moment to moment- kind of like when I went to a Chinese New Year show in Manhattan and quickly wondered what in the hell we had gotten myself into.Animation fans and those who want to know about the history of Chinese film should see it. Others may want to consider what they want to do.

crossbow0106 As the DVD jacket states, this is the first full length animated film produced in China. That alone gives it historical significance, while the quality of the film is pretty good. The story has a lot of things going on. It concerns three travelers, a monkey, a pig face (thats the best I can do) and a human male as they try to travel west. They stumble onto the fiery mountain, where the fires can only be quelled if they obtain the iron fan from the local princess (hence the title). She is beautiful, of course, and does not wish to part with it. There are many great images here, but the story itself is not that compelling. Still, it is not very long, and the film, again, is a pioneering one, so I feel it should be watched.