MOVIE REVIEW - The Man With The Iron Fists

RZA is making his debut in feature length movie making with this weeks new release, The Man With The Iron Fists.  

RZA of course one of the greatest hip hop music producers of all time, is now taking a run at the movies. And he cultivated a bunch of big names to help him get going.  They include Russel Crowe,  Lucy Liu and a pretty good international cast.   Even big time producer Quinton Tarantino has a hand in this, and it shows.

First off, this movie is not for everyone.   These kind of movies are an acquired taste, and they are movies that you kind of have to "get."  Is this complete irony, parody and satire?  Yeah, kind of.   It is exceptionally violent, but much of this is that "silly" violence.  It's kind of a cartoon violence. But make no mistake, this is violent. Rated R and well deserved in every aspect.

It's the story of big trouble in 19th century rural China.  In Jungle Village there is a huge shipment of gold coming through that many rival gangs want control over.  This is all spinning around a very low key blacksmith (RZA) who is forced to forge elaborate tools for these gangs they use to wage war with one another.  So these gangs begin a violent hand-to-hand war to seize control over the gold and Jungle Village.

This is one scene after another of "Matrix-like" martial arts scenes that at times are quite creative and well done.  There are some fascinating effects, and some well done aspects to this flick.  They do weave in a side story or two, and they do their best to tell a story revolving around the martial arts scenes.   Also most of this, including the fight scenes take place in a brothel, and there is no shortage of exploitation of women, and even they are drug into the marital arts scenes.  But you do see that coming.

These movies can have some guilty pleasure laughs for movie goers, as much of this is designed for it.  Is this a drama, or a dark, dark comedy, or an action flick?   Actually it's all all of the above.  This movie will be far more interesting to young men than women, and that's certainly the target audience.   This is yet another look back at the martial arts movies at the 1970's and pokes fun at them, and blends in a certain 'hipness" to it that will make it palatable for today's fans.

The Man With The Iron Fists.  For some a bunch of fun, for others a bunch of junk.