Watch The Man with the Iron Fists

In the movie The Man with the Iron Fists, set in 19th century China, a blacksmith named Thaddeus (RZA) makes weapons for various clans amongst internal conflicts in Jungle Village. He aims to leave the village with his lover Lady Silk (Jamie Chung) but violent events drive him to take a stand against oppressive forces. The story begins with a beautiful and mysterious woman, Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu), opening a brothel while the village's governor is on his way with a treasure of gold. The governor's arrival sparks desire in the hearts of the Lion Clan led by Silver Lion (Byron Mann), the Jackal Clan led by Brass Body (Dave Bautista), and the deadly Gemini Killers (Chen Kuan Tai & Yan Liu). Unknown to them, Madam Blossom has plans for the governor's wealth.

Underneath Jungle Village, a bandit named Zen Yi aka The X-Blade (Rick Yune) seeks to exact revenge for his father's death from Silver Lion. The X-Blade discovers Thaddeus nearly dead and takes him in where he reawakens to discover he has become the village's protector. Madam Blossom reveals that the stolen gold belongs to the emperor and consequently, the whole of China will come looking for it. In a desperate attempt to secure it, Silver Lion hires Brass Body to protect the village.

Meanwhile, Jack Knife (Russell Crowe), a British soldier of fortune, wanders into the village with his fondness for opium and prostitutes. He causes chaos and destruction wherever he goes, but his skills with a blade make him a formidable ally in Thaddeus' fight. Together, Thaddeus and Jack Knife work on building iron fists to defeat the unstoppable Brass Body.

The Man with the Iron Fists is a violent and visually stunning action movie that never takes itself too seriously. A perfect blend of kung-fu, westerns, and fantasy, it stands out as a unique piece of filmmaking from the directorial debut of Wu-Tang Clan's RZA. The film's plot is driven by typical martial arts tropes such as revenge, honor, and saving the village, but it also manages to explore deep themes such as the price of power, the influence of foreign intervention, and the morality of violence.

The movie is a tribute to old-school martial arts and exploitation cinema, featuring characters with imaginative weapons and powers, blood geysers, and over the top fight sequences. The fight choreography is a standout feature of the film, with camera work that allows the viewer to follow every move by the actors. The cast is eclectic, with Russell Crowe bringing his A-game as Jack Knife, a character that oozes charm and wit. Lucy Liu is deliciously wicked as Madam Blossom, while MMA fighter Cung Le delivers a solid performance as Bronze Lion.

The Man with the Iron Fists is a love letter to both classic martial arts films and more contemporary action cinema. The world created is richly imagined, with unique characters, beautiful set designs, and intricate costume designs. The movie's score is also worth mentioning as it is composed by RZA, who brings his unique and eclectic musical style to the mix.

Overall, The Man with the Iron Fists is a wildly entertaining movie that is incredibly fun to watch. It is a visual feast that pays homage to its inspirations while also carving out its own space in the genre. The movie may not be for everyone, but for fans of martial arts films, it is a must-see.

The Man with the Iron Fists is a 2012 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.4 and a MetaScore of 51.