The film had potential with a decent storyline and all-star cast, but fails to pull in the viewer to care about the characters or outcome of the story.The movie far too often goes for cheap,juvenile sexual exploitation.The target audience for the movie seems geared towards males 16-24 and no one else.I've also noticed that the more people see the film the ratings here on IMDb decline.RZA also has very little acting skills and it was a major reason why the movie falls flat. Russell Crowe and Lucy Lui did a fair performance,but even they couldn't salvage the movie.I'm being very critical with my review b/c it's unfortunate to see a movie that had the potential,but didn't live up to it.
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chnfilm3 November 2012
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tqrecords5 November 2012"I always take a gun to a knife fight..."
I provided this rating based on the fact that I would not see this movie a second time, would not recommend it to a friend, and did not take anything away from it other than the thought that Quentin Tarantino must have been high when he agreed to lend his name out for it.
I saw this movie because of my love for martial arts flicks, and I usually give all of them a chance. Also because I am a huge Wu-Tang Clan fan. What I expected to see was some decent fight choreography back-dropped with a grimy, old-school soundtrack. Now from what I recall on the soundtrack part, it did not deliver. And I know that RZA could have incorporated a couple tracks that would have lined this film up nice. Some that could have been included were; Da Mystery of Chessboxin', Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuttin ta F*** Wit, and pretty much anything from the 36 Chambers album. The fight scenes were mediocre until near the end to which I decided I would suck it up and just watch the rest of the movie. The first scene of the film actually made me angry because the fight scene was chopped up (which I hate), and the track they used in the background (actually from the 36 Chambers album) just didn't fit right!
Other things that were disappointing, other than Bautista from WWE showing up, was the weak script and amateurish plot. The dialogue was horrible (see quote from above) and the plot was...well there wasn't really a plot at all. I walked out of the movie asking myself/trying to remember what the story was really about. I'm not sure if it was because I was blown away by RZA's acting or because I was too busy trying to figure out why Russell Crowe was in the movie at all.
The set and costume design were the only things I thought were good about the movie. And the effort to create something visually appealing did not go unnoticed. But its all about the story and characters, which were both lacking aside from Lucy Liu's bit. Wait I think I just remembered what the movie was about...yeah it's pretty weak.
If Quentin Tarantino had more involvement/any involvement at all in this movie it might have been quite possibly something spectacular. But then RZA would have probably not been in it. Hey when is Kill Bill Vol 3 coming out? -
champjohnson293 November 2012Yes I gave this movie an eight! Why, you might ask? Because it did all the things it was supposed to do. Reading all the reviews, I can't understand what people were expecting this movie to be. Judging from the trailer, you can tell it's going to be a dope kung fu movie but you also see that RZA is playing the main character. I didn't expect much from his acting but he did an okay job nonetheless. The plot was solid, nothing complex or in depth like Inception or Dark Knight but who really expects a complex plot from an action movie. I sure as hell don't. I'm a film student and I noticed a lot of things wrong from a logistics stand point, but I know how to turn off my head and just enjoy a film for what it is. I didn't make the movie, so why waste my time talking about what I would have done differently because I'll never get the chance to. But I can write a review based on how I experienced the film.
THE GOOD - The score was great. An interesting mix of hip hop, symphonic and other genres. The costuming, weaponry, set design were all great and looked great on film. This film had a lot of funny moments. As an adult, I can appreciate the humor from a dirty joke and they did them well. The fighting and action were awesome. There were times where my best friend would consistently tap out of excitement for how awesome the fight scenes were. The acting was okay, but I think the best job goes to Lucy Lui and Russell Crowe because they gave the best performances.
THE BAD - I don't know about RZA playing the main character. He did okay on some parts but on others he was very dry. I also would have preferred someone else to narrate. Like Morgan Freeman or Laurence Fishburne. I named those black actors because it seemed like the Filmmakers were going for an urban feel, but RZA's strong east coast accent was very distracting at times but I don't think that was a huge flaw, it's just a matter of taste and that's what the director wanted so I can respect that. There were a lot of cheesy moments. Some of the dialogue was cheesy and even certain points in the movie, you kind of whisper to yourself "Really?!" But knowing Quentin and RZA they both are Kung Fu lovers so I looked over the cheesy moments because I knew they were just paying homage to all of the Kung Fu movies that they grew up watching. It would have been nice to have a more detailed plot. Some characters weren't established well enough to care for them, but with me I didn't want to care I just wanted to see some flying kicks and daggers. Those nappy ass wigs that the Wolf Clan made me want to chew bricks. The hairstylist should be fired but, again, it's all a matter of taste. That was just a creative choice made by the director and I can respect that.
Overall, the movie is just a fun flick to go see on a Friday night. Lots of blood, decapitation, fun martial arts, subliminal dirty jokes, sarcastic humor, special effects, and a unique, urban take on the classic Kung Fu films we've learn to love over the years. This is not a movie you waste your time dissecting. You either love it or you hate. I took the movie for what it was and I loved every minute of it. It had everything an action flick should have, great action, great costumes, great weapons, solid plot and good actors.
Congratulations, RZA on your first film. I'm sure he can'y do anything but get better. He definitely has a vivid mind and I'm anxious to see how he evolves.
Lastly, whenever you're reading a review, make sure you learn how to decipher an authentic review from that of an upcoming filmmaker. We all tend to be very hard on each other and ourselves. A lot of these reviews, contain inhibitions about creative taste rather than the movie itself. No one cares about what you would have done differently. All they care about is if it's worth their ten, fifteen, twenty dollars. That is all. -
universalparadox2 November 2012RZA's film has some amount of imagination,but, simply put, he has no idea how to build, pace, or tell a story. He has made the unfortunate mistake of imitating a genre he loves without understanding what makes it work. The dialogue is half nonsensical exposition, half nauseating one-liners. Lots of clumsy penis and vagina jokes.
The plot is so diffuse...there is not enough time given to any character for them to be read as an actual character. The film fails in tying together any of these frayed threads and also fails to make what happens in any of them significant or sensible. For example there is a "betrayal" plot which happens in the first two minutes of the film, when there is no context to make that betrayal meaningful, make the traitor seem particularly villainous, etc. The acting is very broad and simplistic, which I guess is to be expected given the things RZA expects them to say. He doesn't seem to understand that all of these things, the characters, dialogue, plot points, etc. are pointless without a proper context.
Some people might be inclined to tell me it's the "point" of the movie to not have a story, to be a loose framework on which a series of fight scenes are hung. I'd first suggest that that is not a meaningful effort to make. But even as a visual spectacle or stylistic effort, it doesn't do very well. All of the fights are basically the same knife/sword play... none of the characters really have a specific fighting style, and the CGI gore lopped onto the fights is excessive and silly. The music cues are embarrassingly overdone...any time the film wants you to feel an emotion, the sappiest orchestral music instantly kicks in, to the beat of a hip hop song.
I think it's possible that RZA could make a good film someday, but this certainly isn't it. -
freethinkersmith199124 May 2014Honestly this movie gets a bad rep right off the bat. You see that the movie is practically written, directed, produced (Al-bed Eli Roth) by a rookie film director (and rap/hip-hop legend) RZA. And you think its going to be trash... Okay got it opinions are opinions everybody has one, but take a step back and see what this movie is. Its not meant to the the next great kung-fu movie. Its not meant to be a Oscar winner. It was conceived as a new/interesting look at mixing two different things and seeing what comes out (kung-fu and hip-hop). In this regard i feel as though RZA did a good job incorporating the two together. Do not get me wrong this movie had its fair share of problems that i feel like a more seasoned Director will be able to sniff out, however that is not the case and i feel like too much banter is thrown RZA's way. Give the man a break.
All in all i though this was a enjoyable film and a movie i could watch again. I respect RZA from coming out his comfort zone and trying something new like directing and i am excited to see his future work. -
ghost_dog869 December 2012Produced (not directed or written) by Quentin Tarantino (so you know it's going to be bad) "The Man with the Iron Fists", Wu Tang Clan member RZA's first try behind the camera, doesn't disappoint as far as "bad" movies go. This is truly an exercise in visual and structural ineptitude, which could only be the work of an amateur filmmaker. RZA, starring alongside an obese Russell Crowe and Cung Le (which should tell you all you need to know) in this rather poor grindhouse homage to old Kung Fu movies, narrates the simplistic story of a black blacksmith (RZA) who must protect his village from a deadly band of assassins. But even this story takes a hit, as it becomes overcomplicated by RZA's dreadful storytelling abilities. This mess of a film also stars Lucy Liu, who is by far the most tolerable character, playing the Madam of the town brothel. But not even Liu playing a watered down version of her character in "Kill Bill: Vol: 1" or a halfway decent final battle sequence can conceal the amount of problems that essentially cut "The Man with the Iron Fists" off at the wrists. Truthfully, I haven't wanted to like a movie this much and been so very disappointed by the result since "Battle LA".
Why is this movie so bad? Well, the fact that the entire movie distractingly switches back and forth from English to Mandarin (I am only speculating) for reasons unexplained to the viewer, is the first of many head shakingly dreadful decisions made by RZA. But for a more in-depth breakdown, the following is a very brief (that is, if you enjoy long rants) analysis of RZA's first film:
RZA is no writer: While the classic Martial Arts film concept itself is interesting, the script co-written by RZA himself, as well as Eli Roth (Tarantino's protégé) is rather weak. Surprisingly RZA (only one of the best DJ's/lyricist alive) can't write dialogue to save his life. And while Roth has never been a master of the spoken word himself, it becomes all too obvious between which lines of dialogue RZA has written and which are insertions from Roth, when a character goes on a stiff 5 minute rant that ends with a rather Tarantino-esque one-liner. As for the story itself, the problem lies in that it becomes overly cramped with stupid subplots. Every time the story begins to head in a finite direction, RZA does his damnedest to add another idiotic twist, or have the character cease all action in order to spout out one more bit of needless exposition, complicating matters for an audience that was barely on board to begin with.
RZA is no director: Sometimes a filmmaker can get away with gratuitous violence because it is intricate to the story (or sometimes simply on pedigree alone). But when your story hangs on by a thread and your directing is suspect, the sporadic occurrence of intense brutality doesn't so much come off as shocking, as much as it adds to the clunkiness of the film. Now, RZA does use some stylized camera techniques that obtain a semblance of that cool-factor he is looking for, but yet again, problems arise when he uses them in excess.
RZA is no actor: Maybe the least important aspect of a grindhouse film like this is the acting, although there is something to be said for a self controlled actor who knows how to overact. In saying that, every scene with RZA, is almost comically stunted by his inability to hold his own around A and B-list actors and actresses. His own character must run the gambit of emotions here, from anger, to sorrow, to a man who is in severe anguish. So, if anything, his own script asks too much of him.
Something good: If you try hard enough, you can probably find something good to say about any movie well, maybe except for "Grown Ups". In the case of "The Man with the Iron Fists" um well the soundtrack is good (although, at times ridiculously misused) but this is to be expected since music is what RZA does (NOT DIRECTING). Final Thought: I do realize the intention of a film like "The Man with the Iron Fists" is to champion a hardy slathering of over-the-topness, but that doesn't change the fact that this is quietly one of the worst directed films of the year. At times it's so bad that one would wonder how Quentin Tarantino thought it was a good idea to financially back this project at all. But on the other hand, it wouldn't shock me if it were to come to light that Tarantino had given RZA the money, called up a few of his actor buddies, and told Eli Roth to make his script readable, as a repayment for RZA's work on the Kill Bill soundtracks.
Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus -
hypersonic89994 February 2013Firstly, a disclaimer: All in all, this movie succeeds in what it sets out to do. It's a homage to grindhouse Kung Fu movies of the 70's and 80's and it succeeds very well in being just that kind of film. People go around saying how crap it was, but let's remind ourselves, not every movie is trying to be a masterpiece, and your subjective expectations don't mean this is a bad movie. Everyone went in expecting to see Kill Bill for some reason, because it was produced by Tarantino.
At any rate, the film has quite a nice plot, reminiscent of the movies it tries to pay homage to. It's a simple plot, not many twists and turns to it, but it does draw you in. It has drama, it plays on base emotions like greed and lust for power, and it involves a bloody multi-faction war. Basically, the governor of a Chinese province is transporting some gold (for no specific reason, I assumed it was collected taxes or army wages), and assigns a warrior clan (the Lions) with protecting the shipment while it passes through their area, which is infested with several crime syndicates. The Lions clan leader is murdered by his lieutenants as they want to claim the gold for themselves. Later on, the story starts involving another warrior clan that is protecting the gold (Geminis), a crime syndicate (Wolves), a mercenary army (Jackals), a blacksmith (RZA) that just wants to leave with his beloved woman, a whore house where said woman works (The Blossom House), a mysterious assassin (Poison Dagger), a mysterious cowboy (Jack Knife, played by Russel Crowe) and the son of the murdered Lions clan leader (Zen Yi or X-Blade).
The film contains several fight scenes and violent acts and if you are an action fan, you are gonna enjoy this. The cinematography is quite good, especially in the final battle scene. The acting is excellent for the most part (except RZA at some parts) and considering this was intended to resemble a grindhouse b-movie film. I especially enjoyed the obese Russel Crowe in the role of Jack Knife.
Overall, it's a good watch if you don't go in expecting to see the masterpiece of the year in Kung Fu movies, or a parody along the lines of Black Dynamite. It was certainly much more enjoyable than Argo 7/10 -
Memo_art2 November 2012Okay, I've never reviewed movies but I'll give it the old Jr. high try. This movie with it's solid effects and even nicer fighting is still flawed. Maybe a review is too strong of a word here's my bad/ good list. I've left a grade to give a better Idea of my disapproval.
The bad: 1. Focus the dang camera (C-), I'm not an expert but who the hell is focusing? Lucy Liu during a big speech has her helper in focus and she just off focus. If I spent $2000 on a wedding video I'd like the bride in focus, geez. The focus was out of control in a lot of places which was distracting.
2. Rza (D-) although I do really think this is a work of love and it shows, WTH was he thinking staring in this? If he's too afraid of what his friends think of him if he stops doing his best droopy impression, don't be the lead actor! I mean it's 10-20 minutes, or however long he's in this, of him looking emotionless. I mean grimace man or look sad when bad things happen! How hard is it!!
3. Flashbacks (F)There's an origin flashback an boy is it misguided and uncomfortable! It's just so underdeveloped, maybe the extended version would make sense of it but it really could have been shot better. I imagine this is to Southern Americans (not South America, the Hey Y'all kind etc), what bad American war movies are to Germans. If you're gonna deface us do it with a little finesse.
4. Character motivations sucked(big ol' F), I mean really sucked! I would have been happy to give this a 7 if the characters would make a little sense. Somethings could have been resolved easily I think by just a few lines of dialogue but nope it's all thrown at you with no solid direction.
5. The "almost" makes it a crime(F), like where was everyone's head? You have an almost great movie and no one could ask for help or give it??
6.Split screens (F), Why? Was action happening at the same time?, nope. Bad call, again in the right hands maybe. Here 4 minutes of film that wasn't worth the editing time.
The good:
1. Costumes(B+) were cool, I liked them even the goofy ones, had no problems really. The wigs were really fun and funny.
2. The action(A-), was really great. Fun and funny with no real let downs you get into it and the end battle to me wasn't disappointing except for rza's acting but he was actually passable here(sort of).
3. Effects(A), yup solid, don't care if it looks Kill Billish. Come on, I've actually watched anime since forever and that's how blood sprays in most of those. Dumb to even bring kill bill into this(sort of).
4. Weapons(A+) lots of great gags and deaths. You can tell a lot of time went into conceiving these and the deaths.
5.The villain(A++), Silver Lion and Bronze Lion are great and eat up the screen, none of the heroes come close to these two guys charisma on screen! I mean why the heroes played it so straight without any wink wink moments is beyond me. Did they really think this was a serious movie?
Which comes to my overall review! 5/10 C+, basically there's a lot going right here enough to be watchable, enjoyable even become a classic b movie. But it was so close to being more it's a little sad.
nuff said, MEMO Art -
richieandsam26 December 2012THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS.
I really liked it.
The movie was made by Rza, who is a member of the band Wu Tang Clan. He got together with Quentin Tarantino to make this movie and it definitely feels like a Tarantino movie.
The movie does not especially feel new. It is made in the old fashioned kung-fu movie style. It feels old, there are a lot of floating around a bit like Crouching Tiger. The blood and violence is so over the top just like the old fashioned kung-fu films. Bloody literally flies! :)
The difference between the old movies and this one is the soundtrack. During some scenes there are some WTC songs and hip hop songs... which i liked. I thought it brought a new feel to the movie. It worked really well.
It has got some big names it it. The film stars Rza, Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu and former WWE Champion, Dave Bautista. There are some pretty good effects in it and also some great fighting scenes. The choreography was good too.
This film is excellent entertainment.
I will give this film a 7 out of 10.
If you like the old style Monkey TV show, kung-fu movies then you will love this.
If you would like to read more of my Movie reviews, please like my Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl -
xwickidx3 November 2012I've read some of the reviews that people have left on this movie and it's clear that they have no idea what they're talking about, especially the point where they mistake the main villains name but I digress.
At the start it's believable that it shall be a good movie, the action the jokes, even the death scenes all pretty good... at first
Silver Lion was the ultimate bad guy IMO. Betrayed his Leader and even tried killing the kid so that he can't take revenge
But the issue?
the movie doesn't know who they want the focus to be on
At first they introduce Jack Knife but it was obvious he was just a background characters. I can't explain it but you'd know if you seen it
After that they introduce Gold Lions son, Xblade who seems like he's the main focus of the story seeing as how he's going for revenge but he gets knocked out 10 minutes after his introduction and is out for most the rest of the movie
and then they start focusing on the blacksmith... the narrator.. they could have really done without that. Would you really care if a background character suddenly start getting all the focus? I mean all of a sudden he gets his arms chopped off he gets a back story and flashback too? and they really had to chop off his hands? i mean he makes their weapons.. and he chopped off his hands of all things
The ONLY constant thing that was easy to understand about it was the fact that they were going after the gold..
please for gods sake do not go see this movie -
aswhit20052 June 2013great makeup and effects, great fight scenes great movie. I don't understand why this movie has a low rating. I watch a lot of movies and I find this movie exciting . this film is main stream martial arts action with a little flare. simple plot, fun fight scenes, and great effects. What do you expect? I definitely recommend this movie to martial arts and action fans. I love the over the top blood and gore typical of any movie with a Tarantino label. Costumes were also very cool. Casting was also great except for RZA, but he performed better than expected. If I were you I would ignore this movies low rating and check it out. After reading this movie's low reviews, I was pleasantly surprised after watching this film. If you are looking for something fun and simple, check this movie out. I guarantee you will like it. If not I am sorry, but I think most action fans will have fun watching this one.
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mfd59110 March 2013I have recently been reading reviews of this film and I think people have been suffering from overly high expectations. It is NOT Django! It is a tongue in cheek take on old school martial arts films and I for one enjoyed it a lot. The fight scenes were outrageous and rightfully so. If you appreciate the beauty of Asian women then you are in for a real treat with this film. The plot wasn't deep but it wasn't meant to be. It is just a bit of fun and nostalgic for the films made by such production companies as golden harvest. Sometimes a guy wants to watch a movie and not have to think and this is the perfect film for that.
I found it interesting that Russell Crowe was in this film. He must have quite a sense of humour. Casting Batista I thought was pretty good as the character suited him well. Lucy Liu is always sassy and I the other actors brought some much needed humour to the movie. -
mr-rojas3 November 2012I was very excited to see this movie both because of the style of the film and because of Tarantino's endorsement of the film. After much anticipation I saw the film and was more than disappointed. The entire film just felt like it lacked a director.
The movie begins with an hour long introduction of the plot which has nothing to do with the character it is named after. It was extremely cheesy and not in the fun obvious sort of way but more like it was done by mistake. The movie felt like it was filmed in a month and all of the characters were never given an opportunity to develop. It was a very busy movie, especially when it came down to the action scenes. Although there is plenty of action, I felt like I was watching a "Bourne" film due to the constant shaking of the camera and the sloppy transitions.
The fighting was not technical. The typical Kung Fu-esque flying through the air was clumsy instead of smooth and elegant. All of the lines in the movie were awe full. The plot was stupid and forced. The Chinese David Bowie villain could not be taken seriously.
And the worst most annoying part of the movie was the digital blood splatters. Every time someone was stabbed, digital blood would squirt out of the wound completely enveloping the screen in red but not getting on any of the characters or furniture in the movie.
I hated this movie a lot and others in the theater seemed to feel the same way as throughout the movie people constantly kept walking out and not coming back. Please don't watch this movie.
Thank you -
housetoy9 December 2012first of all after watching the trailer i was really looking forward to this film...and after suffering it i honestly believe this is the worst film i have ever watched in my life..i would have awarded it zero points out of 10 on this site but the minimum has to be one point.
the acting is diabolical, none more so than the fella who directed it... the story is all over the place the dialog is embarrassing... the action is laughable and far too hurried and blurry.. the music is out of place, and felt like rza was only putting it in the film to sell his records.. it had every cliché in the book not once do you feel for any of the characters...the whole film is just one big ego trip for RZA which fails in every department
it is not a fun movie like the director deluded himself is...it's not cool either as you haven't got a clue what is going on!..let alone understand half the actors..
don't waste your time on this garbage, and god forbid RZA ever gets the chance to do another film....AVOID AT ALL COSTS -
cosmo_tiger8 February 2013"We had decided to leave this place, but it turns out that the universe had other plans." When a legend of a golden treasure is heard of a group of various warriors come to a village. When an evil faction looks to take control it is up to the local blacksmith (RZA) and a rogue British soldier (Crowe) to stop them and protect the village. I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of movies like this. I have never really been into martial arts type movies although I have seen some really good ones. That said, while not being all that amazing of a movie itself this one was super entertaining and had some interesting fight sequences that I really enjoyed. The movie is way over the top and unbelievable, but it fit in this movie. If you are looking for an Oscar worthy type martial arts movie then I recommend 13 Assassins or War Of Arrows. This movie is really just visually fun and the fighting is entertaining, which is good sometimes. I liked it more then I expected. Overall, better then anticipated, martial arts fans may really like this. I say B.
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veinbreaker25 November 2012I wanted to like this movie from what i saw in the trailers... the trailer looked awesome... and I ran to the cinema to see this. Even took my girl to see it hoping we'll have a good time...
guys... this sucked... it REALLY REALLY sucked... my God it was terrible...
bad acting, bad fighting scenes (let's be honest), stupid story, crappy lines, lame characters... over-hyped soundtrack...(besides maybe 1 tune) it was terrible... if you can see it as a JOKE, it could be a fun little turd to watch on cable... but as far as movies and a cinema experience..it was BAD. they could have done so much more with this... but.. no... CRAP
for those comparing this to KILL BILL: you are retards... Kill Bill was a good film.. it had style, good action scenes, good dialogue, carefully set up, stylistic, cool, good lines, good actors, great soundtrack (RZA did a great job there)... but this film... oh God... BAD
don't waste your time, don't buy into the hype.
RZA has talent no doubt, but this movie sucked... maybe his next film will be better... or maybe this was intended to be a BAD movie.. who knows. For 15 million USD i'm sure it will sell tickets and make it's money's worth from all the unfortunates like myself who will be lured in from the fantastic trailer... anyway..
I'm out- Peace -
Max-bradshaw712 March 2013Okay so I read a lot of reviews on IMDb before deciding whether or not to watch a movie, but this is my first time writing a review. Because I was really interesting in seeing a movie by RZA and the preview made it look like a Tarantino kill bill-esque movie, which I really like. I felt I had to review this movie because the rating is currently pretty low. I watch a lot a movies and am really into writing and screen writing, so of course I wasn't expecting an exceptionally scripted or written movie.
In the past couple of days I have seen a few movies I wasn't too excited about seeing, but I'm running out of new ones. I saw Abraham Lincoln Vampire hunter, Alex Cross, and Sinister. I just watched this movie this morning and although all of those movies are very different, I was by far the most entertained by TMWTIF. I though Russel Crowe did a pretty good job with what he was given, and RZA did okay as actor and I really like when he narrated. Also the fight scenes soundtrack is really cool, with good wu-tang beats and a few verses. It was pretty cool seeing the Kung-fu fighting with the rap playing, pretty different.
All in all, if your looking for a movie with a really good storyline, plot, and script, then you probably shouldn't watch this movie. If you just want something to put on that's really cool to look at, with good music, attractive Asian women, and really good fight scenes then you probably won't be disappointed. It's a fun movie and deserves a little better rep. I'd watch a sequel. -
I can't remember the last time I walked out of a movie, but I did with this one. It was very difficult to understand the character's intentions. I'm sure the movie said it, but the movie kept bouncing from character to character which made it hard to focus on the storyline. The action scenes were way too comical to be taken seriously. The blood would shoot out of them like the geyser Old Faithful. At one point I didn't know if this movie was supposed to be taken seriously as an action film or meant to be a comedy. One of the characters had an 80's style hairdo that made me laugh every time I saw him. The movie dragged on much too long without substance for me to stay interested. Just random fight scenes that made me laugh more than appreciate the arts of Kung Fu. I felt I was in a nightmare that Oskar Schell had from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
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da_lornz3 July 2013Reading through IMDb I saw a lot of negative reviews on this movie. Are they correct, is this really a terrible movie? I thinks it's a matter of perspective.
If you came in to this movie expecting an intelligent plot combined with nice action you will be fooled. But if you just want a fun ride through martial arts this is a must watch. The story is a very thin one. The governor wants to travel a shipment of gold through a city. Several parties within the city have their own reasons to take the money.
The pacing of this movie is good, there aren't any real dull moments. It just flows from action sequence to action sequence. The only story that is told is the absolute necessary. You definitely don't get a chance to get bored.
The action? I found it great. It's a big spectacle, huge fights which are filmed and executed beautifully. Since this movie is made by hip hop artist RZA you can expect the soundtracks for this movie to be rap, and it actually suits the fighting nicely. The split-screens and other camera tactics work in the movies favor, giving it a very fast impression.
Acting is on a pretty high level for this type of movie. Hollywood stars Russel Crowe and Lucy Liu seem to have fun acting, we see Rick Yune again (starred in the first Fast&furious) and RZA acts solid, not great but a decent performance.
Overall, not a movie that will go down in movie history but a simple, fun ride filled with martial arts. -
cultfilmfreaksdotcom3 November 2012In most cases when an established director's name appears before the word PRESENTS – in this case Quentin Tarantino presents THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS – it means they served as executive producer and the film will somewhat bear their directing style (think Steven Spielberg with POLTERGEIST or GOONIES).
Well QT's name is nowhere in any of the credits, including the story conceived by The RZA – who provided a fantastic soundtrack for KILL BILL – and Eli Roth co-wrote the script. But there are certain aspects, like the exploitative/gratuitous homage to the drive-in Kung Fu flicks, giving the impression the PULP FICTION icon is somewhere in the building: But that's about where his signature ends.
Set in 19th century China we have a score of science-fiction (or comic book) elements: a man who can morph into steel, weapons with a variety of functions, and people flying around like twirling bats. Suspension of disbelief is essential and you should ignore all the plot points within the first half hour that can be somewhat confusing: Just know there's a bunch of gold and several factions want it. That being the nefarious Lion Clan who kill their leader in cold blood – his son (Rick Yune) wants revenge. He eventually bands with Russell Crowe's tough and tubby maverick Jack Knife and a black blacksmith played by RZA himself, perhaps the most sympathetic character with a backstory and handicap.
As a director, the talented musician seems to mimic KILL BILL but without any characters to invest in – while his lethargic acting's nothing to brag about. That's not to say there aren't a few cool fights worth watching, although the overabundant (computer generated) blood and guts become distracting. And the title character is but a formidable adversary with a lot more iron than just his hand. Perhaps his description makes the coolest sounding name on the marquee, but the people who really shine are Lucy Liu's gorgeous brothel vixens including (and especially) Jamie Chung – she alone is worth the time and money.
Everything else feels like a lotta running around with rap and soul music blasting at every turn. Perhaps if RZA went for more dark comedy and put the melodrama aside, we could laugh along with the corny dialog rather than cringing at it. Yet everything leads to another round of kicks, swinging swords and flying limbs: so if that's all you're after, look no further.
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heyanerd23 July 2013It's kind of messy, like Punk Rock, or Tarantino film (why else would he attach his name to it?), but the Rza does a BANG-UP job directing this movie. If anybody thinks it's terrible it's because they're taking it too seriously. A simple, fun, colorful movie with a bit of CGI to highlight what is already well-choreographed practical FX action. Although some can complain there's not enough Russell Crowe, or that it has every action cliché in the book, but therein lies the fun of it. Nothing's too precious, and lots of stuff is in there just because it's cool *cough Iron Fists cough* Ever see Iron Monkey, Hero or even Shoot 'em Up? This is along those lines. I'm glad that when a Wu Tang member went kung fu, they went all out. Worth watching with friends.
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ma-cortes14 April 2014It is set in nineteenth century China, Jungle Village is home to several warring clans . On the hunt for a fabled treasure of gold, a band of warriors, assassins, and a rogue British soldier descend upon a village in feudal China, where a humble blacksmith looks to defend himself and his fellow villagers . There the African-American blacksmith (RZA) makes deadly weapons for the clans, intending to use his payments to purchase the freedom of his lover Lady Silk (Jamie Chung), and leave the village . As an undercover emissary named Jack Knife (Russell Crowe) arrives in the village to monitor the gold and takes up residence in the Pink Blossom, a brothel run by Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu) . As he leader of the clan called Gold Lion is assigned by the Governor to guard his gold that will be transported through the region . However he is double-crossed and killed by the villain Silver Lion (Byron Mann) and greedy Bronze Lion (Cung Lee) . As seven clans, taken on a fortune in gold , let the battle begin.
This luxurious Kung Fu film was spectacularly filmed with good production design , colorful cinematography , a lot of fierce struggles and breathtaking scenes . The flick displays lots of violence, action filled , thrills and groundbreaking combats . This is a colorful, Shanghai-set and quite budget movie ; leave no cliché untouched , though the fighting are magnificently staged . The flick also contains some sex scenes and nudism in charge of whores of brothel and a lot of blood and gore . The picture is full of tumultuous sequences with frenetic action , surprises ,fierce combats and rousing fights. Amid the glamour and grandeur of the scenarios is developed an intrigue about nasty clans , including betrayal , crime and exploring the dark side of Chinese power . It is a homage to Run Run Shaw classic films , a known producer , recently deceased , of Chop-Socky genre who made lots of successes such as "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" ,"Five Deadly Venoms" "Killer Clans", "Return of the Master Killer" and many others .
This rated ¨R¨ picture is starred by a lot of new and old figures from Kung Fu movies such as Cung Le , Byron Mann , Rick Yune and the veterans Gordon Liu and Dennis Chan . Furthermore , a brief cameo by mythical Pam Grier . Impressive and breathtaking fights with deadly use of fists , feet and palms , along with such weapons as swords, sticks , and lances . And hundreds of armored warriors reenacted by lots of extras . Overwhelming attacks and exciting combats very well staged , the result is a strong entry for action buffs . Kung Fu training scenes are a direct reference in ¨Kill Bill¨ by Quentin Tarantino , enhanced by the fact that Gordon Liu stars in both movies . RZA and Eli Roth worked on the screenplay together over two years, talking through every aspect of the story, down to the detail of every weapon . The first cut of the film was four hours long. RZA suggested splitting it into two films, but producer Eli Roth disagreed, and it was ultimately cut down to approximately 90 minutes. The picture finishes with an opening credits showing a demonstration of martial arts by main actors against an empty backdrop similarly to old Hong-Kong movies of the 70s. -
In Jungle Village, the leader of the Lion's clan Gold Lion (Kuan Tai Chen) is summoned by the Governor (Terence Yin) and assigned to protect his gold that will be transported through the village. However he is betrayed and murdered by the greedy Silver Lion (Byron Mann) and Bronze Lion (Cung Le).
Gold Lion's favorite son Zen Yi (Rick Yune), a.k.a. The X-Blade, seeks revenge and heads to Jungle Village, but he is defeated by Brass Body (Dave Bautista) and rescued by the local Blacksmith Thaddeus (RZA). Meanwhile the Gemini Female (Grace Huang) and the Gemini Male (Andrew Lin) protect the Governor's gold, but they are vanquished by the army of Silver and Bronze Lion.
The Blacksmith is abducted by the Lions and has his arms severed by Brass Body. However he is saved by the British Jack Knife (Russell Crowe), who is the emissary of the Emperor, and he manufactures iron arms for Thaddeus. Meanwhile the Governor sends the Jackal army to fight against the Lions and they hide the gold in the brothel of Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu). However, Madam Blossom and his girls form an army of black widows and together with Jack, Zen Yi and The Blacksmith, they fight against the Lions.
"The Man with the Iron Fists" is a classy trash with a senseless and messy story, no character development, spoken in English and with an irritating hip hop in the soundtrack. In the environment of China, the pretentious RZA wastes budget, a wonderful cinematography and a great cast in an unfunny and violent parody of Wuxia that never works. The worst, he believes that he can be a lead actor using the same facial expression along the movie. The funniest part is when the obese Russell Crowe's character Jack Knife calls Crazy Hippo of fat man. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "O Homem de Punhos de Ferro" ("The Man with the Iron Fists") -
SnoopyStyle29 August 2013It's 19th century China. The governor is transferring a large shipment of gold. Gold Lion, Silver Lion, Bronze Lion... The Man with the Iron Fists Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.
This was a complete mess of a story. There are characters all over the place. It's complete chaos. It's like as if this was written by a novice who is used to writing 3 minutes clips. The action is almost as crazy. It's flashy and over the top. If you can turn your brain off, it can be entertaining for quite a while. But it's still a tough watch. There are big stars including Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu. Although Dave Bautista plays the coolest guy, he's invincible and he looks really cool doing it. This is a mess. -
jhpstrydom30 May 2013The first time I tried to watch this film someone told me it was utter crap and told me to go for something else and that something else that was recommended to me ended up being THE WATCH and that film turned out to be utter crap and I reckoned that other person should stick to reading people magazine. I eventually saw THE MAN WITH THE IRON FIST and as it turns out its not as bad as people made it out to be. Its no genre defining masterpiece but it certainly is far from the worst movie ever made.
The storyline I've noticed moves at a really fast pace. At times the characters and their motivations are revealed so fast you need to have a sharp attention span to know who's who and what their purpose is. The action scenes aren't perfect but are reasonably well done. At times the fight scenes appear as if their edited a little fast but the film doesn't utilize the very annoying shaky cam style so the action is easier to follow.
The acting I'll admit wasn't the best I've seen in a film. The best performances are mainly given by Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu and Byron Mann. The rest of the cast aren't what you would call God awful, they just seem a little wooden at times but that doesn't really hurt the film very much.
Overall, THE MAN WITH THE IRON FIST to me was better than I expected and despite its flaws it manages to entertain although I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is a bit of an uptight film critic or perhaps to someone who is a die hard fan of the Shaw brothers style kung fu movies with high standards. Its better to a bit open minded with this film and try and take it as is.