It's been a long time since the RZA's iron fists were on a screen, but wait no longer! The Man With The Iron Fists is the directorial debut from the acclaimed member of the Wu-Tang Clan and gets Quentin Tarantino's name slapped onto it for good measure.The film finds RZA as a blacksmith that makes elaborate weapons for local warriors and assassins, until he becomes his greatest creation (hint: guess who has the fists?).
But this isn't the first time that he's dablled in kung-fu treachery or had to fight off a legion of evil assassins. Way back in 1999, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style came out for the Playstation. The 4 vs 4 fighting game re-imagined the hip-hop collective as martial artists training in the lost kung-fu style of Wu-Tang that go out and avenge their slain master. All nine were represented by exagerated versions of themselves in the game, down to RZA being a swordsman while Raekwon was the original man with the iron fists.
The film, co-written with Hostel director Eli Roth, is a throwback to the Hong Kong action films of the exploitation days and originally came in with a four hour run time. A Kill Bill it isn't, since the current cut appears to be a trimmer 90 minutes. No word on the actual release date, but it's good to see Shaolin Style has become a reality of sorts for the guys who made the 36 Chambers a way of life. The trailer above shows just how gritty the action'll get, like Shaolin Style that capitalized on weird and random finishing moves.
Except here, it looks like someone's going to lose an eye--and guts, and an arm, and a leg and you get the idea.
