Review of The Man with the Iron Fists

The first time I watched this movie, I was confused. Usually, it is easy to tell who the hero is supposed to be. However, the lead's acting ability leaves something to be desired. Since most movies hire the best actor for the leading role, I was scratching my head, trying to figure out who I was supposed to cheer and who I was supposed to boo until about half way through the film when it became clear who the "Man With the Iron Fists" was going to be. Also, I seemed to be watching an Asian style martial arts film, so the American Hip Hop music was a bit discordant. The English sound track seemed a lot like a bad dub---all except Russel Crowe who did an admirable impersonation of Richard Burton. And then there was the problem with the women. As in all of them, except two, were prostitutes. Not at all what you expect from an Asian martial arts film. The numerous plot holes did not help. If you try to make sense of the story, you completely miss all the awesome special effects, like eyeballs popping from their heads and bodies splitting in half.

By the end of the first viewing, I was ready to give it a 3, maybe a 4 if I was feeling generous.

But certain scenes stuck in my mind, so I decided to give it a second try. This time, I armed myself with sake and tequila. And I enjoyed this film a lot. Especially the eyeballs flying out of people's heads and the bodies splitting in half.

I predict that this is one of those films that will get panned upon release and then become a cult movie later on, since cult movies generally improve upon subsequent viewings.