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[tab title="Movie Review"]
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Sometimes less of something is better.
The Blacksmith is back in RZA’s The Man with the Iron Fists 2. It is, at once, a movie no one thought possible considering the original film’s lukewarm response back in 2012. Directed by cinematographer Roel Reiné, the martial arts flick jettisons the star power factor and its more gonzo tendencies in favor of a straightforward stab at some Kung-Fu tomfoolery…which, given the B-movie material, is a disappointment.
Thaddeus (RZA), a former slave who has left 19th-century America in favor of China, finds himself involved with political cruelty thanks to some awful overlords who try to squash a small mining Asian village located in the Wuji mountains. With their heavy-handed ways and means, their tactics seem to somehow be draining the residents of their will to live. Thaddeus, having sworn to peace, is in a bit of a bind ... quite literally.
Local hero Li Kung (Dustin Nguyen) does most of the fighting as the RZA, with his fists wrapped in gauze, takes a backseat in favor of some pretty heavy-handed speeches. That’s right; The Blacksmith plays second fiddle this time out. Where’s the fun in that? Which is exactly what’s wrong with The Man with the Iron Fists 2. It’s just no fun.
RZA is definitely obsessive about the genre. His good intentions and passions are visible even if the money is not. He invests a lot of time with this direct-to-blu release (as its screenwriter) but delivers a subpar action movie. The charm is gone and the exotic locations are surprisingly less appealing this time out. For martial arts savages, I hate to say it but even the action choreography is utterly disappointing. Gaps between “hits” are noticeable and everything is just a muddied mess that seems available in any other low-budget fiasco.
The stylish design of the original carried it across the finish line when the script started to drag its feet a bit. Unfortunately, The Man with the Iron Fists 2 has very little of that spunk and, with RZA sitting out on a lot of the action, this one just doesn’t quicken its pace and ends up being a waste of time. Though the flick has a couple of interesting twists, the by-the-numbers approach to directing means that you can skip thirty minutes of the movie and not miss much.
Turns out, those wrapped iron fists of RZA’s have become rusty.
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout.
Runtime: 90 mins
Director: Roel Reiné
Writer: John Jarrell, RZA
Cast: RZA, Schnitrnunt Busarakamwong, Grace Huang
Genre: Action
Tagline: R for strong bloody violence throughout.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Just imagine putting a bunch of crazy musicians together and telling them to go have a good time together."
Distributor: THINKFilm
Official Site: http://www.festivalexpress.com/
Release Date: April 26, 2004
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: February 11, 2014
Synopsis: The filmed account of a large Canadian rock festival train tour.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Available on Blu-ray - April 14, 2015
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English SDH, French, Spanish
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; iTunes digital copy; Digital copy; DVD copy
Region Encoding: A
The Blu-ray release of The Man with the Iron Fists 2 is presented in 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. The near-reference quality 1080p/AVC MPEG-encode is consistently razor-sharp, exposing every pore and imperfection in the faces of the cast. Everything is balanced and sharp. Complexions show lifelike textures in close-ups with natural flesh tones while individual hairs are distinct and resolute. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is as detailed as the picture.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Director Roel Reiné and executive producer/co-writer/actor RZA deliver an uncensored commentary of the film. They pretty much gush over each other throughout the commentary. No real insights.
Special Features:
The release from Universal contains both the Rated & Unrated Versions of the movie and the differences amount to more gore and blood. Big deal. The commentary handles most of what is contained here: an EPK and 8 deleted scenes.
- Chi Warriors: The Making of The Man with the Iron Fists 2 (13 min)
- Deleted Scenes (12 min)
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[tab title="Trailer"]
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