The Man With The Iron Fists

Kung Fu movies from the 70´s had something special. The fighting sequences were well made, considering the budget was almost nothing, the actors had to do their best to make it look real. David Carradine´s tv show Kung Fu was a good example, where the acting was mostly awful, but the fighting scenes delivered entertainment. A lot has happened since these days, kung fu movies are not very popular to make anymore. Maybe it is because this genre was more popular in the 70´s, while today most cinema movies are all about making big bucks. When hip hop artist RZA decided to make a kung fu movie, i did not really know what to think. Is he serious, or just having some fun? Is The Man With The Iron Fists a worthy tribute to old kung fu classics, or just a silly project with nothing to offer ?

China, Jungle Village. The village Blacksmith ( RZA ) creates deadly weapons for the clans, with his earned money he intend to purchase the freedom of his lover Lady Silk ( Jamie Chung ). The Lion Clan's leader Gold Lion is betrayed by his lieutenants Silver Lion ( Byron Mann ) and Bronze Lion ( Cung Le ), as they kill him to steal his gold. The Emperor's undercover emissary Jack Knife ( Russel Crowe ) arrives in the village, where he make sure to get alot of pussy at the Pink Blossom. The whore house is run by Madam Blossom ( Lucy Liu ), makes sure Jack Knife is satisfied, offering new girls and alcohol. Gold's son Zen-Yi ( Rik Yune ) wants revenge on his fathers death. But killing Silver Lion and Bronze Lion is not that easy, especially when Brass Brody ( David Bautista ), a deadly soldier who can turn into metal, is killing anyone standing in his way. Blacksmith may be the only one who can finish this evil empire, but will Lady Silk survive ?

When you see Eli Roth is one of the producers, you realise this might be something. Thankfully it turns out that The Man With The Iron Fists, is a nice tribute, made in an old school way, for kung fu fans. Some of the fighting scenes are really cool, where throats get ripped off, or someone is kicked in a very special way. The biggest problem with this movie, is the acting. Even if we have some good actors in here, like Lucy Liu and Russel Crowe among others, i feel that these characters does not work very well from an acting point of view. They only work when the fights begins, then we get a feast of violence. And check out the hair style of Silver and Bronce Lion, they look like they tried to make a haircut from Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. If you grew up watching Bruce Lee, or even early Jackie Chan movies, you might actually enjoy this one.

Rating: DDD