The Man With The Iron Fists Review

• 1st Apr 2013

The RZA continues to provide the music, but has stepped in front of and behind the camera for this Pseudo kung-fu/rap/warrior mash-up flick. Yes he’s off to ancient China to brew up a tale of warriors and gold seeking.

Having worked and done music for the likes of Tarantino, it seems that he’s found his way over to Eli Roth and the two concocted this mad cap adventure with some of today’s best known fighting artists on board in key roles. Okay, most of them are a mix up of Tiwan, Chinese, Lebanese, Korean and various other cultures – but what does that matter when you’re an american writer-producer. So let the wire work spring into action, the blood gauzes shoot and the choreography flow in every direction as we are introduced to far too many clans and characters to remember on a first viewing.

Suffice to say the RZA is a blacksmith and former slave, Rick Yune is a mountain warrior out to avenge his father’s death, Lucy Liu runs a brother and Russell Crowe is an English officer with a secret agenda. Into their midst come several fighting clans, each with the intent of sending the rest off to the next world and keen to get their grubby mits on a horde of gold within the town with they have laid siege to.

There is barely 5 minutes that pass where there isn’t another beat down between various on screen antagonists. In fact the film barely finds time to stop until half way through they decide is the best time to give us RZA’s back story – at which point the film thuds to a standstill, only to pick up for the big finale.

The film looks great, features some of the best art direction you expect to see in such a film, and even features some very nice edits and transitions between scenes. The problem is that it’s such an unholy mess.  Do we care what goes on, or what happens to anyone? Not really. This is pure blood-letting and action fantasy porn. If you love your style over substance then this is one that looks great, despite being very hollow.

Steven Hurst