The Man with the Iron Fists

Name: The Man with the Iron Fists
Genre: Action
Released: November 2, 2012
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 51
Cast: Cung Le, Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe, The RZA

2012

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Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 131 Ratings

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5.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 131 Ratings

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The Man With The Iron Fists

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: November 2, 2012 | R

Starring: Cung Le, Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe, The RZA

Summary: Since his arrival in China's Jungle Village, the town's blacksmith has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans' brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon. As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains,Since his arrival in China's Jungle Village, the town's blacksmith has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans' brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon. As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains, one man must harness this power to become savior of his adopted people. Blending astonishing martial-arts sequences from some of the masters of this world with the signature vision he brings as the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and as one of hip-hop's most dominant figures of the past two decades, RZA embarks upon his most ambitious, stylized and thrilling project to date. (Universal Pictures)… Expand

Director: The RZA

Genre(s): Action

Rating: R

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

Nathan Rabin

Nov 4, 2012

The Man With The Iron Fists has the same advantages of many musical debuts. It's the product of a man who has been storing up ideas, setpieces, characters, and gags for a lifetime, in preparation for the magic moment when he'd be able to unleash his full vision on the big screen. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

Nov 1, 2012

It's all sufficiently well done and amusing enough to satisfy the appetites of fans who mainline this sort of thing, but it also sports a concocted, second-hand feel common to this sort of throwback homage. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

Nov 1, 2012

A wildly whirling martial arts spectacle with an endless array of exotic knives, a penchant for Zen philosophizing and an unquenchable thirst for blood. It may just be one of the best bad movies ever. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Nov 1, 2012

As erratically enjoyable as it is consistently ridiculous, the martial arts pastiche The Man With the Iron Fists is the latest evidence that the vogue for neo-exploitation cinema shows no sign of flagging. Read full review

Elizabeth Weitzman

Nov 4, 2012

The movie plays things relatively straight, acknowledging clichés without the winking irony in which modern homages usually indulge. As such, it's giddy fun - a well-made genre picture that sends up its influences even as it clearly reveres them. Read full review

Steve Macfarlane

Nov 1, 2012

The chop-socky wire-fu scenes are beautifully choreographed, but pretty crudely edited; despite its gourmet neo-grindhouse trappings, the film won't bring the heat like you've never seen before. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Dec 11, 2012

It's leaden, boorish and dull. Read full review

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User Reviews

EvilShadowX11

Nov 3, 2012

Kill Bill action. That's Ll you need to know. It's not for the story or anything, just awesome kill bill action. What else do you need to know? If you love cheesey blood, gore, and action, this is the movie for you and it won't disappoint.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

AllAroundGamer

Dec 23, 2012

RZA did a decent job with this one. There were some good fight scenes, however, many were too short. In my opinion, there were way too many important people to be trying to focus the film on. The Blacksmith's history was very irrelevant as well as many other people's bits of history. HeRZA did a decent job with this one. There were some good fight scenes, however, many were too short. In my opinion, there were way too many important people to be trying to focus the film on. The Blacksmith's history was very irrelevant as well as many other people's bits of history. He should have focused on one or two main characters and developed it that way to make the plot more sensible, connective, and strong.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Draithis

Dec 14, 2012

From the opening scene, The Man with the Iron Fists feels at once familiar, and strange. It has the ridiculous hair of the eighties, various fighting styles that defy logic, and a soundtrack to match, but TMIF strikes a fine balance of genre's that somehow works. A rare specimen, TMIF mayFrom the opening scene, The Man with the Iron Fists feels at once familiar, and strange. It has the ridiculous hair of the eighties, various fighting styles that defy logic, and a soundtrack to match, but TMIF strikes a fine balance of genre's that somehow works. A rare specimen, TMIF may not be for everyone, but it's destined to become a cult classic, at the very least!

P.S. No "Kill Bill" reference needed… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Caestus

May 12, 2013

It is not a bad movie altough it has to many CGI Effects and the gore elements are to excessively but it still knows how to entertain you.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Nesbitt10

Feb 11, 2013

I have occasionally enjoyed this wave of grindhouse pictures, like--"Planet Terror" and "Hobo with a Shotgun." But a lot of them have been disappointments. I'm talking about the boring and overwritten "Death Proof" and the oh-so-irreverent "Machete." "The Man with the Iron Fists"--Wu-TangI have occasionally enjoyed this wave of grindhouse pictures, like--"Planet Terror" and "Hobo with a Shotgun." But a lot of them have been disappointments. I'm talking about the boring and overwritten "Death Proof" and the oh-so-irreverent "Machete." "The Man with the Iron Fists"--Wu-Tang Clan member RZA's first shot behind the camera, is an exercise in visual and structural ineptitude. The RZA, starring alongside an obese Russell Crowe, 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. Not even a halfway decent final battle sequence, (if you can make it that far), can compensate the insurmountable problems that makes this so laborious to watch. Truthfully, I wanted to enjoy the movie for what it is--an over-top-bloody, action sequence extravaganza--but couldn't. The movie tries to maintain a edginess throughout---graphic fight scenes, blood spatter, etc. but falls short. Levels of debauchery that are simply unpleasant at times (including a disturbingly obese Russell Crowe ripping anal beads from out a prostitute in a bath tub) for example. The last half of the film takes place inside the brothel, and there is not a single shred of female nudity in the film. The film was entirely filmed in China, and whose original duration exceeded four hours. The RZA suggested dividing the work into two films, however, and not surprisingly, his proposal did not receive any support, thus forced to reduce its length to just over an hour and a half. Therefore, when you remove 145 minutes of a 240 minute film, the first thing that suffers is the story itself. What's left of the story is a mess and no real sense of direction. Characters are in and out of the story line so quickly, the audience doesn't have a chance to be clear on their motivations and alignments.The martial arts sequences consist of a saturation of close-ups cables, and computer generated effects, that denies the viewer the chance to appreciate the exchange of martial techniques. Considering the background and motivations of the director--and his talented cast--such a waste of unused talent is incomprehensible.
The RZA's directorial debut is not terrible--and yes that's a compliment. For a grindhouse homage it's rather boring at times-- and the scant 95-minute running time seems painfully long. Further evidence that supports the fact that grindhouse trailers are almost always more entertaining than the movies themselves.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

moviebuff24

Nov 9, 2012

I like QT, RZA, Kill Bill Etc... but this movie was HORRIBLE. I literally walked out after wasting an hour... my popcorn was the best part. The movie had a great trailer... fooled again!

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

vpkraja

Nov 3, 2012

Chinese made poor quality sold out American brand actors movie. Horrible sound track from beginning to end. Very cheaply made movie .The highest expense would have been the money paid to the couple of main actors . Chinese trying to sell movies like their products . They just want floatingChinese made poor quality sold out American brand actors movie. Horrible sound track from beginning to end. Very cheaply made movie .The highest expense would have been the money paid to the couple of main actors . Chinese trying to sell movies like their products . They just want floating population and initial days to make the money out . It is a shame for the Hollywood(universal studios) . It is cheating the movie viewers.These kind of cheap movie will reduce the regular movie viewers. I really wanted to get out of the theater after few minutes . I have never seen any movie like this.… Expand

0 of 12 users found this helpful012

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