A Blacksmith (Rza) is working in a violent Chinese town in 19^th century China and he is saving up enough money to quit making weapons for rival clans and run off with his girlfriend, Lady Silk, who is a prostitute at the local brothel.   The plans start to be in danger when Golden Lion of the Lion clan is murdered by his lieutenants, Silver Lion and Bronze Lion.   They want to take over the town and steal gold that is going to be traveling through as a way to pay for a truce between the north and the Chinese Emperor.   Also coming to town is Jack Knife (Rusell Crowe), a man who says he is on vacation and he takes up at the brothel.

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS is a homage to the 1970s Chinese Kung Fu movies/ the Shaw Brothers movies being produced at the time down to the open and end credits.   However, it is also influenced by Quentin Taratino’s KILL BILL movies and it has a blacksmith (who is a former black slave) in addition to Russell Crowe having the time of his life in a role he filmed in ten days.  It is an enjoyable action film with some incredibly directed martial arts sequences with the performance of Rza as the blacksmith being the only character being overshadowed by the other characters. It is a love letter to those old Kung Fu/ Shaw Brother movies that just happens to have Russell Crowe in it.  It is a fun cocktail of martial arts action that will probably do very well on Blu-ray and DVD.

This movie review is (c)11-7-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com