The Man With the Iron Fists (2012)
Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 83
Fresh: 41 | Rotten: 42
Messy kung-fu homage The Man with the Iron Fists demonstrates a slavish affection for the genre it mimics, for better or worse.
Average Rating: 4.3/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 6
Messy kung-fu homage The Man with the Iron Fists demonstrates a slavish affection for the genre it mimics, for better or worse.
liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 42,406
My Rating
Movie Info
Making his debut as a big-screen director and leading man, RZA-alongside a stellar international cast led by Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu-tells the epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in nineteenth-century China who must unite to destroy the clan traitor who would destroy them all. Since his arrival in China's Jungle Village, the town's blacksmith (RZA) has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans' brewing war boils
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Cast
-
Russell Crowe
Jack Knife, Jackknife -
Lucy Liu
Madame Blossom -
RZA
Blacksmith, The Blacksm... -
Cung Le
Bronze Lion -
Byron Mann
Silver Lion -
Rick Yune
Zen Yi, Zen Yi The X-Bl... -
David Bautista
Brass Body -
Daniel Wu
Poison Dagger -
Osric Chau
Blacksmith's Assistant -
Darren Scott
Rodent Chief -
Jamie Chung
Lady Silk -
Zhu Zhu
Chi Chi -
Gordon Liu
Abbot -
Andrew Ng
Senior Monk -
Kuan Tai Chen
Gold Lion -
Xue Jing Yao
Copper Lion -
Telly Liu
Iron Lion -
Dong Wenjun
White Lion -
Zhan De Re
Lion Clan Messenger -
Lu Kai
Lion Clan Servant -
MC Jin
Chan -
Leung Ka Yan
Hyena Chief -
Liu Changjiang
Grey Hyena -
Brian Yang
Blue Hyena -
Hu Mingwu
Yellow Hyena -
Masanobu Otsuka
Red Hyena -
Grace Huang (II)
Gemini Female -
Andrew Wei Lin
Gemini Male -
Ren Luomin
Wolf Clan Leader -
Eli Roth
Wolf Clan #2 -
Jia Hong
Jackal Captain -
Liu Yindi
Jack Lieutenant -
Didi Qian
Lady Tagmata -
Lu Wei
Crazy Hippo's Widow -
Yuchen Du
Jack Knife's Widow #1 -
Betty Zhou
Jack Knife's Widow #2 -
Pam Grier
Jane -
Jon T. Benn
Master John -
Jake Garber
Jake -
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Dennis Chan
Dragon Innkeeper -
Zhou Gang
Crazy Hippo -
Celina Jade
Dragon Inn Singer -
Dong Jilai
Tailor -
Isabella Qian
Urchin Girl -
Lian Shuliang
Rodent Innkeeper -
Terence Yin
Governor
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The Man With the Iron Fists Trailer & Photos
All Critics (83) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (42)
As befits a Tarantino-endorsed production, the anachronisms, one-liners and clashing acting styles are ostensibly part of the fun, but both the martial arts and the slightly dull narrative patchwork are too choppily edited to gain much of a foothold.
Top CriticLunatic, slipshod, absurdly violent, horribly acted, and borderline incomprehensible.
There's little happening here except slavish imitation and embarrassing hackwork.
If Iron Fists is sometimes badly made, it is refreshingly badly made.
The blood spurts, the knives shoot out, and the fists fly - but The Man with the Iron Fists never takes off.
"The Man With the Iron Fists" is the type of movie that feels like you are always coming in half-way through, even if you watch it from the beginning. As an exercise in genre, this is the highest compliment.
The Man with the Iron Fists is an off-balanced and bloated martial arts film that barely gets by on its gorgeous set design.
When you team with Eli Roth, who has the writing talent of a sociopathic thirteen year old boy on Ritalin, what can you possibly expect but swill?
A scrappily authentic and entertainingly bloody tribute to old-school chopsocky films and taken purely on those terms, there's not a lot to complain about.
The movie is undeniably colorful and action-packed, and gorier than a slaughterhouse floor. But something's missing.
The violence is extreme and preposterous, the fights ingeniously choreographed, the producer Tarantino (his actual credit is "presents").
The fists, feet and digital blood go flying in this enjoyable, frenetic, largely forgettable chop-socky extravaganza about, well, about a man with iron fists who gets into lots of fights.
One is occasionally infuriated by the archness of the exercise. But there is a charming innocence to Fists' faith in the values of 1970s cross-cultural exploitation.
A vacuous but fun exercise in chop-sock style over substance.
Given the talent on board, this registers as a disappointment, but even with the clunky dialogue and subpar fight scenes, it's watchable fun.
Predictably, this kind of gleeful fanboy excess yields diminishing returns. RZA hasn't much sense of storytelling rhythm, and lacks Tarantino's gift for turning adolescent obsessions into something uniquely personal.
It's so over the top that I just thought it was a hoot.
Thank goodness for Russell Crowe who gives a sardonic, who-gives-a-damn performance as one of the good guys.
The Man with the Iron Fists is as limp as last week's wet noodles.
Rapper-turned-actor-turned-filmmaker RZA is clearly influenced by cohorts Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth as he indulges in this crazed pastiche of 1970s kung fu action romps.
Self-defeatingly "Tarantino-esque".
A one-note pastiche featuring impressive wire-fu, bloody mayhem and CGI mutilation.
The Man With The Iron Fists definitely isn't the most polished first effort. But if you approach it as a sloppy, OTT martial arts outing, you'll find the fun.
As long as you accept some magnificently bad dialogue, this is silly, fun and ludicrous beyond belief.
Psychopaths will love it.
It's leaden, boorish and dull.
Audience Reviews for The Man With the Iron Fists
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Jack Knife: Unfortunately, Dagger, the gears of life move inexorably in only one direction.
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- Jack Knife: I always carry my gun [looks at his knife] to a knife fight.
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- Jack Knife: I always carry my gun [looks at his knife] to a knife fight.
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- Silver Lion: Kiss my ring.
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- Poison Dagger: In the morning, we'll kill all of these whores.
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- Poison Dagger: I'll see you in hell.
- Jack Knife: I suppose you will. Save me a seat by the fire.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| The Director according to Rottentomatoes: | 2 months ago | 0 |
| Looks like a piece of crap | 4 months ago | 5 |
| Yeah, it was pretty crappy | 4 months ago | 0 |
| I managed to get a copy and ive frisbee'd it up my stree | 4 months ago | 1 |
| The Man With The Iron Fist Movie Review | 5 months ago | 0 |
Latest News on The Man With the Iron Fists
December 5, 2012:
Martial Arts Movies: A Visual HistoryWith The Man with the Iron Fists in cinemas this week, we take a tour through the history of martial...
November 2, 2012:
Critics Consensus: Wreck-it Ralph, Flight Are Certified FreshThis week at the movies, we've got a sensitive villain (Wreck-it Ralph, with voice work by John C....
October 29, 2012:
RZA Lines Up Two More MoviesHe's set to direct John Milius' Genghis Khan biopic and an action flick titled "No Man's Land."
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Foreign Titles
- L'Homme aux poings de fer (FR)
- El hombre de los puños de hierro (ES)
