Man of Iron (1972) User Reviews (5)

MAN OF IRON – good Shaw Bros. vehicle for kung fu star Chen Kuan Tai

[BrianDanaCamp · 6/10 · 22 September 2007]

MAN OF IRON (1972) was positioned as something of a follow-up to BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (1972), the rise-and-fall story of Ma Yung Chen (also reviewed on this site), and it reunites the directors and some of the cast in a similar but much slighter tale of a lesser gangster's rise and fall in Shanghai. While the opening narration specifically recalls the events and tragic conclusion of BOXER, this one is set 20 years later in the same section of Shanghai but otherwise has nothing to do with the events or characters of the previous film.

It's basically a tale of gang warfare in post-war Shanghai (although the sets and most of the costumes look much older) that begins when an "upstart," Chou Lian Huan, played by Chen Kuan Tai (also the star of BOXER), takes a liking to the socialite mistress (Ching Li) of the son of the city's reigning crime boss (Yang Chih-Ching). He even rides a motorcycle through the patio doors of her elegant house and into the parlor and fights off her bodyguards to get her attention. The old crime boss, disgusted with his own son's wastrel ways, actually takes a liking to Chou and lets him have the woman. This provides a wedge for another crime boss to start a war to take over the city's criminal network.

To make a not-so-long-story short, Chou finds himself battling dozens of henchmen wielding clubs and knives (apparently no one has any guns left over from the war) in a series of brutal kung fu fights that are more realistic than usual because of Chou's strategy of ruthless thrusts, punches, kicks and elbow blows designed to maim and disable his opponents as quickly and surely as possible. Fortunately, the film is filled with such fights and they keep one's interest throughout.

The on-screen chemistry between Chen Kuan Tai and his female co-star, Ching Li (a leading Shaw Bros. star who was also in BOXER), is quite strong and includes some tender and romantic scenes (after, of course, she gets over his initial rough treatment of her).

Movie business rule one - If it works beat it to death!

[ckormos1 · 7/10 · 22 May 2019]

The narrator begins with a helpful explanation of the chronology of this movie and "Boxer from Shantung" in which Chen Kuan-Tai ended up dead because of a belly full of axes. It is now 20 years later so call this movie a sequel or remake but it is actually neither. What is it? The best business model for making movies "Find something that works then beat it to death". Here we are beating to death the "new gangster comes to town with predictable outcome" plot. This is all done in a good way though so no complaints from this reviewer.

Chen Kuan-Tai starts out walking through town and looking good. It's all about the looking good and our hero nails it as the ladies in the audience drop to their fainting couches. He goes to the casino, wins big, beats up Bolo, then steals the loser's girl. What a manly man! Loser goes to his daddy who is a big gangster.

Alexander Fu Sheng has his first speaking role in this movie. He is the guy with the Raleigh bicycle. I noticed that detail because I ride a Raleigh bicycle but a much newer one. This is at about the 26 minute mark. Alex warns our hero about the ambush and our hero then proceeds to give them a demonstration of bicycle kung fu. This could be the first time bicycle style was ever shown on screen.

I rate this above average and it is on my list to watch again every few years as appropriate.

Boxer from Shantung sequel and re-tread

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 8 December 2016]

MAN OF IRON is Chang Cheh's direct follow-up to his classic BOXER FROM SHANTUNG and once again features Chen Kuan Tai in the leading role, although for obvious reasons he plays a different character in this film (but still one much the same as his role in the first film). The story is set no less than 20 years after the events of the first movie so the setting is more modern day, which allows for some fun action scenes involving death by car and a bit where a motorbike is driven through a window.

The predictable story is the worst thing about this feature; it's merely a re-tread of the first film's plot but without any of the style or originality. Kuan Tai turns up in a part of Shanghai ruled over by vicious gangsters and soon finds himself subjected to threats and then violence by those he threatens to muscle in on. Peripheral characters are killed, Kuan Tai takes time out to romance Ching Li, and it all builds to a ferocious fight-filled climax. Bolo Yeung has a nice supporting role as a chief henchman who gets endlessly beaten up.

Thankfully MAN OF IRON is an action-packed film which helps to take your mind off the limitations of the plot. Kuan Tai has never been cooler than when wearing his high-collar leather jacket and the bad guys carry these foldable long knives which are truly wicked. The fighters are fast, bloody, and fantastic, and the best is saved for a wide-scale climax that deliberately references that of BOXER OF SHANTUNG with a few key differences (for one, it's set outdoors). The melodrama is heaped in and the violence is through the roof, so Shaw fans will be in their element.

A recapitulation...

[poe426 · 7/10 · 27 February 2015]

While Chang Cheh's THE BOXER FROM SHANGTUNG was one of the better Triad tales, MAN OF IRON, his follow up, is little more than a recapitulation (though not a remake, per se, it also stars Chen Kuan Tai as a wannabe Triad boss from the same neighborhood as the character he played in THE BOXER FROM SHANGTUNG). While MAN OF IRON lacks the spectacular action that made the first film so memorable, it DOES have its own share of fight scenes. One of the longest (and possibly one of the longest in movie history) features a bicycle-chain-wielding Chen Kuan Tai whipping half a hundred attackers before succumbing to his wounds. It's an impressive display, to be sure, and Tai's economy of motion in dispatching his adversaries is admirable, but the film as a whole just doesn't hold a candle to THE BOXER FROM SHANGTUNG.

Every goal has a price

[dafrosts · 8/10 · 3 March 2018]

Look up the definition of Smolder in the dictionary and a picture of Chen Kuan-Tai will accompany it. He is a no holds barred presence on the screen. Kuan-Tai is Chow Yun-Wan/Qiu Lian-Huan, a man looking to be more than a small time gangster in Post-WWII Shanghai. He finds himself on the bad side of Yu Chow-Kai (Tien Ching/Tin Ching), the ne'er do well son of the main Shanghai mobster, Boss Yu Zhen-Ting (Yeung Chi-Hing), when Lian-Huan openly flirts with Chow-Kai's girlfriend, Chen Chu-Fung/Shen Ju-Fang (Ching Li). Making matters worse is Chu-Fung seems to appreciate Lian-Huan's flirtation.

Zhen-Ting is old school and prefers to deal with issues along those lines. His second in command, Boss Chang Gen Bao (Chu Mu) tends to act before thinking. Bao decides he'll personally teach Lian-Huan to remember his place. Zhen-Ting warns the outcome won't be what Bao expects. Bao ignores the warning and sends minions to Lian-Huan's house. They beat up Lian-Huan's Bestie, Lin Geng-Sheng (Wong Chung) and associates.

Lian-Huan is warned about Bao's men by a kid on a bicycle (Alexander Fu Sheng in a very early Shaw Brother's appearance). Lian-Huan keeps the bicycle and uses it quite well to fend off Bao's men. He breaks off the bicycle chain and wraps it around Chow-Kai's neck and drags Chow-Kai back to his father's place. Zhen-Ting is more irritated with his useless son than with Lian-Huan.

Lian-Huan is attacked by more of Bao's men after a deliberate car "accident". Lian-Huan is badly injured but manages to kill off Bao's men. Bao's main two thugs arrive on scene moments after Chu-Fung has taken Lian-Huan to her house to recover from his injuries. Bao orders a city-wide search for Lian-Huan. Zhen-Ting knows Lian-Huan will make his presence known in his own time.

While Lian-Huan recovers, Bao sends men to his house to question Lin Geng-Sheng and the others. The honest response they have no clue where Lian-Huan is, only irritates Bao's minions. Lin Geng-Sheng is taken to Bao's home, where he again admits he has no clue where Lian-Huan is. Bao informs him that Lian-Huan's men have been bought off to join Bao's gang. Those that said no, were killed. Lin Geng-Sheng tells Bao where to shove an offer also join Bao's gang.

Lin Geng-Sheng doesn't make it passed the walk in front of Bao's home. He wants Bao's men that though he is dying, they have no idea the hell they've unleashed on themselves. Bao's men fill Lin Geng-Sheng's body with lead, wrap it up and dump it off a bridge.

When Lian-Huan calls his house and is told Lin Geng-Sheng isn't available, he knows something's off. Chu-Fung volunteers to go to the casino where Chow-Kai hangs out, to find out what's happening. She learns of Lin Geng-Sheng's death, Lian-Huan's men selling him out and overhears a telephone conversation informing Chow-Kai that Lian-Huan had been captured outside of town. She panics an heads back to her house and is relieved to find Lian-Huan still there. She tells him everything she's learned. Lian-Huan wants to exact revenge for his his Bestie, but is still too weak from his injuries.

Chow-Kai has been set up by Boa's men, who tell him, his driver and bodyguard that they work for Lian-Huan. Chow-Kai is assaulted and tossed into a car trunk. His bodyguard is killed and his driver left severely injured. The driver manages to get back to town to inform Zheng-Ting of the events. He knows Lian-Huan wasn't involved in his son's murder. Zheng-Ting knows Bao is behind it and tells this to Bao, who feigns shock at the accusation. Zheng-Ting announces he's retiring and moving to the country. He's done with the whole mobster scenario.

Bao decides to give him a more permanent exit by having Zheng-Ting's one loyal associates kill him. Bao then sets his sights on eliminating Lian-Huan. The problem is locating him.

Lian-Huan makes his presence known at Zheng-Ting's funeral. Bao has everything planned down to a tee. What he doesn't expect his how much of a fight Lian-Huan puts up. The man simply won't stay down. Even having minions edge Lian-Huan into an alleyway where an ambush awaits doesn't stop him. Lian-Huan, who has been stabbed by a minion (Lau Kar Wing), manages to zipped up his leather jacket to keep pressure on the wound, staggers back out of the alley (David Chiang Da Wei did something similar in Four Riders).

More bloody fighting ensues. Each time Bao thinks Lian-Huan is down for the count, Lian-Huan rises to his feet and kills more of Bao's minions. The two finally battle, with Bao being stabbed several times by Lian-Huan. The surviving minions run away, when Lian-Huan, who's lost far more blood than was in his body, once more rises to his feet. Rather than attempt to make it back to Chu-Fung, Lian-Huan decides chasing the minions is a better idea. This uses the last of his energy and he dies in the middle of the street.

Though it was probably one of the bloodiest Shaw Brother's movies I've seen, the fight weren't just for having fights. They were integral to the story. I gave this an 8 due to a plot that moved smoothly, there was even some romance for a change and Chen Kuan-Tai's take no prisoners presence. I would highly recommend this movie.