The Man with the Iron Fists

In 19^th century China’s war-torn Jungle Village, a blacksmith (RZA) sells weapons to feuding clans in hopes of earning enough money to purchase the freedom of his lover Lady Silk (Jamie Chung). When the leader of one of the clans, Golden Lion (Chen Kuan-tai) is betrayed and killed, his son Zen-Yi (Rick Yune) returns from exile to avenge his death. Meanwhile, Jack (Russell Crowe), an Englishman serving as the emperor’s secret operative, arrives to keep an eye on a shipment of imperial gold and monitor the situation.

Directed by the Wu Tang Clan’s RZA (who co-wrote with producer Eli Roth) and “presented” by Quentin Tarantino, The Man with the Iron Fists is a bloody, anachronistic romp that manages to be both severely flawed and a hell of a lot of fun. As an homage to the kung fu movies of the 1970s, it includes loads of fight scenes, some recognizable names from the era (Pam Grier appears briefly as the blacksmith’s mother), and other flourishes that fans of the genre might appreciate. There is also just enough plotting to keep a viewer interested, but make no mistake: this is a style-over-substance affair.

However, as style goes, you could do a lot worse. The period detail is more fantasy than reality, but the costuming is nevertheless quite intricate. Add well-choreographed combat, a surprisingly diverse soundtrack, and violence that is as elegant as it is extreme, and you’d have a hard-time guessing that this is the work of a first-time director.

Unfortunately, RZA is a far weaker presence in front of the camera. The blacksmith fulfills the role of a narrator well enough, but he spends so much of the movie in the capacity of an observer that when he finally makes the transition to action protagonist, it just isn’t convincing. The other performances range from wooden (former pro wrestler Dave Bautista as indestructible assassin Brass Body) to hammy (a villainous, mullet-sporting Byron Mann) with all manner of mediocrity in between. Crowe and Lucy Liu attempt to add credibility, but an unimpressive, cliché-ridden script doesn’t give them much to work with. The film stops just short of having characters shriek “Revenge!” while charging forth with a sword; subtle it is not.

If you can stomach the bloodshed and overlook the weak performances, The Man with the Iron Fists offers lots of flashy combat and a distinctive creative vision. But if you go in expecting much more than a few good fights, you will probably be disappointed.

6.75/10