At some point you have to respect a film that spends 60% of its time in a brothel and manages not to show a single exposed 
breast. Gets better. The Man with the Iron Fists is a kung fu film lovingly created with minimal subtitles by an obvious fan of the genre: writer, director, rapper, star, lover, fighter, smoker, joker, midnight toker Rza. Rza’s film contains ass-kicking, bloody torture, gut-ripping, limb-severing, acrobatic ass-kicking, brass ass-kicking and lethal fanning, but the thing I took from this Amerifriendly fu is a zero breast count. This despite the setting, the rating and at least ten separate instances of sexual activity.
Rza, dude, this is gangsta? This is Wu Tang Clan material? Careful there, you’re almost empowering women — except 
for the” brothel” part, foshizza.
I actually loved the premise of The Man with the Iron Fists — that given a warlike time and place, a blacksmith could amass a fortune. I’d go a step further — in a gunpowder–challenged town where every adult male is interested in quality weaponry, I’d say the town smithee is certain to be the local king. I’m not really sure why anybody messes with the town smith in this film. There is never a moment in which the warring factions decide, “OK, we’re good with weapons. Really. We don’t need any more.”
I might have enjoyed Iron Fists a little more if it gave me a reason to enjoy the brothel other than a very clothed Lucy Liu. Or if I hadn’t seen the same eccentric confused violent hyperbolic silliness two months ago. Russell Crowe is in the cast, I can only guess, because he owed somebody money. Or maybe Rza has some incriminating photos. He doesn’t belong and this film does nothing for his career. He plays a guy who brings a gun to a knife fight. And I’m bringing a pan.
Among us an artist named Rza
With projects so much hit and mizza
Takes director chair
With occasional flair
But still hardly the best in the bizza
Rated R, 96 Minutes
D: RZA
W: Eli Roth, RZA
Genre: Kick ass hyperbole
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Kung fu junkies
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: The violence weary
