The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

If you're looking for a fresh kungfu flick that still holds an oldschool vibe, look no further. The Man with the Iron Fists is waiting for you. And with a bunch of big names (Tarantino, RZA, Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe and Gordon Liu) this should provide some good entertainment. Isn't it?



There were some question marks hanging above my head for this film. First of all, The Man with The Iron Fists is widely promoted with Quentin Tarantino's name but I couldn't find him anywhere in the credits. After some research I found that he had little direct involvement in the making of this film. He is closely associated with both RZA and Eli Roth, both professionally and personally, so he was no doubt happy to lend his name to the picture to help out his friends. A bit disappointing I think for somebody like Tarantino to lend his name that easily. The film does have a certain Tarantino feel though, and like other films of his, I keep asking myself the same question: Is this supposed to be serious or not?

The entire movie is set in Jungle Village in China somewhere in the 19th century. It is packed with rivaling gangs, a blacksmith that provides them with the weapons, and a brothel where they all meet. During the 95 minutes you'll find out why a blacksmith would stay in a position like that, why the clans are rebelling and how women always find themselves between all these fighting men. Nothing very new so far. But then Russell Crowe steps in with a very interesting and sometimes very disgusting role. As many, I mostly remember him as the Gladiator or the genius from A Beautiful Mind. But forget that! This is a changed man and proof that he is a profound actor. Thumbs up for him.

RZA (or Robert Fitzgerald Diggs - which I think sounds way cooler), that I mostly knew for his music, wrote the whole script and screenplay and directed the film. He then chose himself as the lead character. An interesting choice in my opinion. The entire film has a certain Django vibe. At some points I didn't know if I was watching a Western or a not. And that's a good thing. But Django is a bad-ass with swag and plays it like that. RZA plays his character very seriously, but honestly I laughed most of the time. It was very enjoyable, but I'm not sure if RZA intended it to be like that.

Then there's Gordon Liu. I was so exited to see him in a movie again. I have some many great childhood memories of him. It's a shame he has such a small role. He does it perfectly though. It's similar to his role in Kill Bill where he played Pak Mei (the monk with the white eyebrows). Lucy Liu also has a Kill Bill-ish role. Terrifying but lovely at the same time. I like that.

Last but not the least the fighting (because that's what we're here for right). I can easily describe that for you: all the stunts done by the asians, awesome; all others, need some more time perfecting it... Overall I can say there are some very nice moments in it.

All together it seems as if RZA watched a lot of Chinese martial arts movies, remembered the best parts and mixed them in a not-so-new story. You can easily capture moments from other films. Eventually it isn't such a bad thing. I wouldn't say this is a must see for everybody. But if you like spending your evenings with popcorn on the couch, you should watch it. Since the film varies so much in many aspects, there should be something in it for everybody.