This sequel to 2012’s tribute to Kung Fu films of the past combines hip hop music with the nostalgic tale of a 19 Century subjugated community rescued through the bravery of a local lad and a mysterious stranger.
Directed by Roel Reiné (Death Race 2), the film features co-writer and rapper RZA, who carries over from the first film. In this stand-alone tale, RZA is discovered injured and unconscious by villagers and becomes caught up in their struggles against an evil overlord.
Despite the campy nature of this b-grade fiasco, there is little to enjoy other than Reiné’s choice locations. The external shots are far superior to anything else in this flick, with the modern day soundtrack making no sense against the period setting and action.
The dialogue is as amateur as the acting and almost as predictable as the plot, which offers nothing new to the genre. The fight sequences vary from laughable to passable, but the shoddy camera angles often make the staging obvious, with kicks and punches visibly missing their targets.
Lovers of b-grade horror movies may enjoy the gratuitous gore, particularly given how poorly executed it is, but it’s indicative of the overall poor productions values which consistently make this film anything but kickass.
Whichever way you look at it, as a satire, it lacks humour and as a tribute to the masters of the genre, it lacks quality, substance and style.
Bonus features on the home entertainment release may be of much more interest. They include deleted scenes, a ‘making of…’ feature and commentary with both the Director and star.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 0
The Man with the Iron Fists 2 is released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 11 June 2015
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