First and foremost I would like to address the tag line for The Man With the Iron Fists:
They put the F-U in KUNG FU.
Now if that ain’t some cleverness right there, I don’t know what is.
Based on the trailer alone, I don’t think this movie even needs a plot. The martial arts flow in the same vein as Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle — except way more ridonkulous and with white people! I mean, what the hell is Russell Crowe doing up in this movie? And with Jamie Chung? That is the oddest combo I have seen since Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon in Water For Elephants. Plus, Lucy Liu seems to have some sort of weird Madonna-esque English accent. And then there are the weapons: iron fists (hence the title), a fan with blades and there’s a dude made of gold — of SOLID GOLD!
The level of awesome absurdity is thanks to all the minds behind the movie. For one, RZA is directing and starring in the movie so that brings the irresistable Wu Tang component into the mix. Then there are the big-time cinephiliac names attached to the movie. Eli Roth wrote the script with RZA and Quentin Tarantino is presenting it (whatever the hell that means).
This movie is such a clusterf*ck of brilliance and bombastic action that it could possibly be the best martial arts film of 2012 — at least for the fanboys and geeks. I already know I am going to watch it multiple times.