The Man with the Iron Fists (**1/2 out of ****)

RZA's directing career has begun and the man is not half bad at the job. Him and Eli Roth have succeeded in making a mad rump of action with a wide variety of interesting characters. Every actor has something to bring to the table and so quite well in this tribute to kung fu movies.

Ages past in China there lived The Blacksmith (RZA). he lived in a small village and crafted masterful weapons. One day he is approached by two rival clans to craft some specific weapons. One of these clan is in a state of rebellion and looks to steal a shipment of the Emperor's gold to wipe out all their rivals. Every one nearby is gunning for a piece of this fortune and the last one left alive will claim the prize.

As said before the strength of the movie lies in it's many unique characters. Each with a specific fighting style or gimmick. When the action is going all is right with the film. However the action isn't the sole centerpiece of the film. There is a examination on class struggle and Buddhism etc. Problem there is the ideas presented aren't very compelling, instead they seem to interrupt the action. It's a strange thing complaining about mixing story and action, but when the story is lacking the action looks all so much better. Also perhaps the film would have benefitted from a grind-house feeling. Only certain parts of the film feel like a throw back to the kung fu movies RZA apparently so admires. Still for what its worth the film can pack quite a punch.

**1/2 out of ****