The Man with the Iron Fists [Unrated]

Director: RZA RZA

Overview

When the population of a village in rural China must defend themselves against a formidable enemy, a local blacksmith (director/star/co-writer RZA) forges the weapons they need to emerge victorious from the bloody battle to come. Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu co-star in this period action thriller co-written by famed horror director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel).

Product Details

Release Date:	02/12/2013
UPC:	0025192107696
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	R
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00

Special Features

Deleted Scenes; A Path to the East; A look inside The Man With The Iron Fists; On the Set with RZA

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

RZA	Blacksmith,Composer
Russell Crowe	Jack Knife
Lucy Liu	Madame Blossom,Abbot,Iron Lion,Actor,Abbott
Cung Le	Bronze Lion
Byron Mann	Silver Lion
Rick Yune	Zen Yi, The X-Blade
David Bautista	Brass Body
Daniel Wu	Poison Dagger
Osric Chau	Blacksmith's Assistant
Darren Scott	Rodent Chief
Jamie Chung	Lady Silk
Zhu Zhu	Chi Chi
Andrew Ng	Senior Monk
Chen Kuan Tai	Gold Lion
Xue Jing Yao	Copper Lion
Dong Wenjun	White Lion
Zhan De Re	Lion Clan Messenger
Lu Kai	Lion Clan Servant
MC Jin	Chan
Ka Yan Leung	Hyena Chief,Hyena Chief
Liu Changjiang	Grey Hyena
Brian Yang	Blue Hyena
Hu Mingwu	Yellow Hyena
Masanobu Otsuka	Red Hyena
Grace Huang	Gemini Female
Andrew Lin	Gemini Male
Ren Luomin	Wolf Clan Leader
Eli Roth	Wolf Clan #2
Jia Hong	Jackal Captain
Liu Yindi	Jack Lieutenant
Didi Qian	Lady Tagmata,Urchin Girl
Yuchen Du	Jack Knife's Widow #1
Betty Zhou	Jack Knife's Widow #2
Pam Grier	Jane
Jon T. Benn	Master John
Jake Garber	Jake
Beau Van Dorens	Bo
Dennis Chan	Dragon Innkeeper
Zhou Gang	Crazy Hippo
Celina Jade	Dragon Inn Singer
Dong Jilai	Tailor
Terence Yin	Governor
Lu Wei	Crazy Hippo's Widow
Lian Shuliang	Rodent Innkeeper
Howard Drossin	Composer
Yoyao Hsueh	Actor
Jin Auyeung	Chan

Technical Credits

RZA

Eli Roth

RZA	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Eli Roth	Screenwriter,Producer
Marc Abraham	Producer
Eric Newman	Producer
Thomas A. Bliss	Executive Producer,Producer
Kristel Laiblin	Executive Producer,Producer
Thomas Karnowski	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Doris Tse	Executive Producer,Producer
Corey Yuen	Action Director
Zoe Thompson	Casting
Gregory Nicotero	Makeup Special Effects
Howard Berger	Makeup Special Effects
Jake McKinnon	Makeup Special Effects
Jacob Garber	Makeup Special Effects
Arthur Lau Wai Kit	Special Effects Supervisor
Scarlet Chen Yi Song	Script Supervisor
Travis Baumann	Special Effects
Erik Aadahl	Sound Effects
Joshua Adeniji	Sound Effects
Odin Benitez	Sound Effects
Mike Leeder	Casting

Editorial Reviews

The Man With the Iron Fists is a loving tribute to the Shaw Brothers era of kung fu flicks, backed with solid hip-hop beats and digitally aided modern grotesquery. RZA's directorial debut is a fun-as-hell trip down the memory lane of Saturday martial-arts matinees as he steers an impressive cast of stars from the East and West through a tale about clans vying for power and the almighty dollar -- or in this case, gold. Russell Crowe adds much-needed scenery chewing to the proceedings, channeling some of RZA's fallen comrade Ol' Dirty Bastard in the process. Admittedly, the film will mostly play to fans of the genre because it was made for them, which in no way is a knock on the movie; it's just a plain fact. The "Man" in question is Blacksmith (played by the director), a former slave who supplies weapons to the different warring factions in China's Jungle Village. When Gold Lion, the leader of the Lion tribe, is killed by his lieutenants Silver Lion and Bronze Lion over a shipment of gold to be delivered to the emperor, it sparks a feud in the village. Although Blacksmith's goal is to collect enough money to run off with his true love (Jamie Chung), a prostitute at the local whorehouse, that plan runs amuck when Gold Lion's son, Zen Yi (Rick Yune), arrives in town seeking vengeance. Along for the ride are Lucy Liu as Madame Blossom, the head of the local lavish brothel, and Russell Crowe as the mysterious Jack Knife, a killer with a taste for women and booze. RZA, with the help of co-writer and directorial mentor Eli Roth, cooks up a potboiler of a scenario -- one that's typical of the kung fu and Western genres. The musician channels old-school tricks of the trade by utilizing split screens and making sure that many of the voices have an over-the-top dubbed inflection, which only adds to the good times. As far as violence goes, the picture amps up the red stuff, mostly through digital trickery -- that might hit a sour spot for some, yet even they will appreciate its liberal use in the film. Movie magic certainly aids David Bautista's character, whose body morphs into solid brass, making him a formidable opponent for Blacksmith. Other highlights include Byron Mann, who turns in a gleefully villainous performance as Silver Lion. This RZA passion project brings together his loves and hints at talents we have yet to see. For now, kung fu fans will be happy that Iron Fists exists and is just as entertaining as they hoped it would be.