The Man With The Iron Fists (2012)

Universal Pictures

Sometimes you just need to get out of the house and an action movie more often than not will hit the spot. Now I could escape into an action movie in the comfort of my room but I always find some type of distractions, which turn a 2 hour movie into 3 hours or more. It could be a case of ADD, but usually it’s because I’m pausing a video to move laundry from the washer into the dryer or taking it out to fold the clothes. The method of escape that I chose for today was of the kung fu variety, RZA’s The Man With The Iron Fists.

Its written, directed, and stars rapper RZA as the title character, along with appearances from pro-wrestler Batista as a behemoth, Russell Crowe as a knife-wielding fellow, and Lucy Lui as the head mistress of a brothel. RZA plays the quiet and tortured hero type, while Russell Crowe provides a fun character with his hammy portrayal, but I think Batista made a mistake when he left the pro-wrestling ring. His acting talent is fine when it calls for angry wrestling interviews but here he’s laughably bad. Perhaps leaving wrestling was a good idea for him though, since he can make the same amount of money for a lot less work.

The idea I get from this movie is it’s a homage to films watched as a kid that you would act out on the playground at recess. When you’re a kid, you wish that you could fly around and dispose of an army of bad guys with just a single punch; or maybe two. The choice of weaponry for each set of characters was interesting. Obviously a man has iron fists, but there is also a special ability that Batista’s character has, with Lucy Liu getting her own unique ability too. However the script doesn’t seem to progress past that thirteen year old’s daydreams, especially when a guy who uses knives has “Knife” for a last name. While moments of the script are weak, I do like how the movie has a unique personality, especially the hip hop score that enhances the action-packed moments. I also got a kick out of their break from fighting to enjoy some "spicy" ribs.

The movie often feels rather dull in between its many fight sequences. I also got the sense that this movie is little more than a pet project, easily achievable in this day and age as once you find celebrity status in one medium, you’re guaranteed to capitalize on that success in another medium. But I did find a way to escape for two hours and watch some guys flip around with knives and guns, so why am I complaining?