Hatchet reporter Andrew Avrick shares his latest movie experience.

“The Man with the Iron Fists” (2012)
★★★★✰

Why did it take this long for us to get an actual kung fu movie from the Wu-Tang Clan?

Written, directed, starring and narrated by RZA, the leader of the legendary rap collective, “The Man with the Iron Fists” forces this question on us for 90 whole minutes of blissfully cheesy action set to the rapper’s handpicked soundtrack. Armed with the guns of producer Quentin Tarantino and co-writer Eli Roth, RZA tests the limits of his R rating in what seems like his dream film.

RZA stars as the title character, a blacksmith who creates and sells elaborately designed weapons, including the infamous “iron fists,” to all of the film’s factions at a time when significant amounts of gold are being shipped through the blacksmith’s small 19th-century Chinese village. From there, the plot is simplistic and the characters absurd: Russell Crowe fits a Han Solo role with his ridiculous spinning knife revolver; Lucy Liu leads an army of acrobatic prostitutes; and a gang known as “The Lions,” who tout bladed claws, make an appearance. The entire film is a gigantic grisly showdown.

“The Man with the Iron Fists” delivers the perfect dose of Tarantino’s trashy old movie style.  Much attention is paid to recreating the classic kung fu genre, as specifics like intentionally poor captions, unnecessary quick zooms, and some awkward cinematography are reminiscent of the genre’s most famed films. This RZA brainchild’s incredible soundtrack is also worth noting. Scored and prepared by RZA himself and recorded by the likes of Wu-Tang members, the Black Keys and Kanye West – just to name a few – the soundtrack presents well-placed and not overused rap, with samples that give off both a funky and exotic feel.

The movie’s gleeful violence and fittingly campy style work well in the theater, as blood squirts out of every opening in an unrealistic, yet entirely entertaining grindhouse fashion.  Without question, “The Man with the Iron Fists” is something memorable, an absurd film that will please anyone going in with the right mindset.

Genre: Action
Director: RZA
Cast: RZA, Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, Rick Yune
Release Date: Nov. 2