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12.2.202111.3.2012 | By Jack Rico |
So you saw the trailer to âThe Man with the Iron Fistsâ and it adrenalized you to see it. I mean, it has all the elements you personally like such as: martial arts movies that are impressively choreographed, violently-bloody-driven action sequences, hokey jokes from the villains and heroes, Russell Crowe who is one of your favorite actors and one who adds credibility to the cast, a hip hop infusion from the respected Wu-Tangâs RZA to make it âcoolâ and Quentin Tarantino putting his name and reputation on it. Yes, I thought the exact same thing too until… I saw the movie.Â
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The story is an action-adventure martial arts throwback film, inspired by the kung-fu classics from the 80âs such as “Fury of the Dragon,” “Black Samurai,” “Godfather of Hong Kong,” “Fists of Double K” and “Five Deadly Venoms”. It tells the story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero who all descend on one fabled village in China for a winner-takes-all battle for a fortune in gold.Â
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On paper, itâs hard for any studio to dismiss this movie, but, not everything that is on paper works. Not to bog you down with sports analogies, but look at the powerful offensive minded New York Yankees who were swept in the playoffs by the Detroit Tigers for exactly not hitting, and your Los Angeles Lakers, who by far have the best starting lineup in basketball history, are 0-3 to start the season. So how does one explain these things? Chemistry. When you have great film elements at your disposal, it is the directorâs job to have them flow seamlessly amongst each other, and not live individually. This is where you have to blame tyro helmer and screenwriter RZA (real name Robert âBobbyâ Fitzgerald Diggs) for not having the experience to recognize the devil in the details. Is it all bad? No, but as a result, the movie is lifeless.
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âThe Man with the Iron Fistsâ has one evident earmark too hard to ignore and that is RZAâs involvement. This is obviously a vehicle to infiltrate himself into the Hollywood universe, since he is not an actor by trade, evident in the film (he was god awful). If no one will hire him, heâll hire himself by being the director, writer, composer and co-lead in his own film. He did have help from fellow journeyman Eli Roth who produced, co-penned the script with him and made an undetectable cameo as a Wolf Clan member, according to the production notes, regrettably he offers little help here.
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Visually, the movie is top notch. It is the jokes that arenât funny and the acting as a whole is just abominable. All your left with then is the action to propel the film forward. In this regard, the martial arts sequences are intricate and ambitious. It truly is the movieâs only saving grace.Â
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Overall, âThe Man with the Iron Fistsâ doesnât have that much to offer on the inside. Itâs just flash, all steak and no sizzle. Do yourself a favor and save your money if you can. I recommend you catch a better selection of contemporary martial arts classics on Bluray/DVD that will surely provide you with a superior and more memorable cinematic experience:
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– âThe Raid: Redemptionâ (this yearâs best action film marked by its harshly gruesome Indonesian martial arts sequences)
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– âOng-backâ (no wires, stunt doubles, or CGI, just beat downs in every sense of the word)
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– Tarantinoâs âKill Billâ 1 & 2 (theyâre intense, engrossing, filled with rib-cracking laughs and you just canât seem to get enough from them)
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– Ang Leeâs âCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonâ (one of the best of all time)
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– Jackie Chanâs âThe Legend of Drunken Masterâ (this is one of Chanâs career defining works)
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– âKung Fu Hustleâ (perhaps the most entertaining movie on this mini list because of itâs bizarre, outlandish humor and exciting action kung fu scenes)
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– âChocalateâ (a rarely talked about gem featuring a female fighter), âHeroâ (some say better than âCrouching Tigerâ)
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– âFearlessâ (one of, if not, Jet Liâs finest work)
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As of the posting of this movie review, âOng-bakâ and âFearlessâ are currently on Netflix streaming, thus allowing you watch these immediately.Â
Rated: Rated R for bloody violence, strong sexuality, language and brief drug use
Release Date: 2012-11-02
Screenplay: Eli Roth, RZA
Official Website: http://www.ironfists.com/