Everybody born before 1990 know what the Wu-Tang Clan is, and to a certain degree, was introduced to Kung Fu movies because of them. Mastermind of the superband RZA has a passion for the genre that made everyone of us fond of him, like he was some kind of dorky uncle. I'm not into Kung Fu movies myself, but learning about the release of THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS a couple years ago made me unreasonably happy and that feeling might've have more to do with hip-hop than with the idea of a Kung Fu movie in itself. I thought I'd give THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS a try now that the sequel is in theaters, and man, I had a lot more fun watching it than I probably should've.
Jungle Village has been torn by feuding clans for several years. The Lion clan is hired by the regional governor to protect a shipment of gold passing through the region, but all hell breaks loose when their leader Gold Lion (Kuan Tai Chen) is murdered by his second and third in command and the gold disappears. Clans are feuding over the disappeared loot, Gold Lion's son Zen Yi (Rick Yune) is out for blood, government forces are looming and it's the village's blacksmith Thaddeus (RZA) that'll hold the key to this conflict. He's not your average weapons merchant and the way he'll bend will eventually rewrite the geo-political map of Jungle Village.
THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS is a movie that can be difficult to understand out of context. It's a bit of a fantasy come to life, both for RZA and every fan of the Wu-Tang Clan who grew up with 36 Chambers for soundtrack. I'm aware it could come off as a dorky, blooddrunk, overkill movie shot by Kung Fu enthusiasts, but it's not what it is. THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS operates within a colourful alternate universe, where killing has been turned into a way of life by wayward warriors connected with the forces of the universe, and where the laws of physics have long stopped applying. Once you make peace with the idea that THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS is a ludicrous, impossible and violently stylish, the only thing you have left to do is to love it for what it is.
Jungle Village has been torn by feuding clans for several years. The Lion clan is hired by the regional governor to protect a shipment of gold passing through the region, but all hell breaks loose when their leader Gold Lion (Kuan Tai Chen) is murdered by his second and third in command and the gold disappears. Clans are feuding over the disappeared loot, Gold Lion's son Zen Yi (Rick Yune) is out for blood, government forces are looming and it's the village's blacksmith Thaddeus (RZA) that'll hold the key to this conflict. He's not your average weapons merchant and the way he'll bend will eventually rewrite the geo-political map of Jungle Village.
THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS is a movie that can be difficult to understand out of context. It's a bit of a fantasy come to life, both for RZA and every fan of the Wu-Tang Clan who grew up with 36 Chambers for soundtrack. I'm aware it could come off as a dorky, blooddrunk, overkill movie shot by Kung Fu enthusiasts, but it's not what it is. THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS operates within a colourful alternate universe, where killing has been turned into a way of life by wayward warriors connected with the forces of the universe, and where the laws of physics have long stopped applying. Once you make peace with the idea that THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS is a ludicrous, impossible and violently stylish, the only thing you have left to do is to love it for what it is.
I probably wanted to high five RZA 1,000 times in my life, but maybe never as much as during this scene.
There are a handful of ridiculous plot details I might've overlooked in my overwhelming joy of watching a RZA-directed Kung Fu movie. For example, Thaddeus is a bit of a convenient hero. I, quite frankly, loved the idea of having the blacksmith in the middle of the conflict because the feuding factions all depended on him to get their weapons, but of course he's got this super secret badass training he doesn't show to anyone until it's convenient to do so. It does fit the mythological vibe of THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, but it is hovered over so quickly, it's almost funny. It's like someone backed into the screenplay on a second draft and stapled this detail in order to make Thaddeus the hero. Once again though, THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, is about finding excuse for on-screen violence. Don't go into it expecting award-winning writing.
I've never been into this turn of the century Kung Fu movies revival. The only thing I remember about CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is finally making out with that long time crush I had and not finishing it, if you know what I mean. THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS is not that kind of slow, elegiac and masturbatory film. It's a Western wearing a kimono, a raw myth drenched in the blood of sinful warriors. It's a movie shot with undeniable energy and enthusiasm, and it ultimately is contagious to the viewer. It's not mandatory to be a long-time Wu-Tang Clan fan in order to enjoy THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, but there's a special satisfaction to it, considering the reckless abandon with which the movie was made.