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Flash Movie Review: The Man with the Iron Fists
Ladies and gentlemen for tonight’s main attraction; oh wait, that is not right. There were very few women in the audience for this blood fest. For the couple of women seated near me I am guessing they lost a bet; one seemed more interested in her fingernails than what was on the screen. I haven’t seen so much slicing and dicing since I had to wait in line at the neighborhood delicatessen during their cold cuts holiday sale. With Quentin Tarantino as a producer, one has to know there is going to be a spirited blood bath. It was 19th century China and Jungle Village was the home to several rival clans. When word got out that a shipment of gold was to be transported through the village; mysterious individuals, mobs and assassins plotted a way to steal the gold and seize power. Rza (Repo Men, American Gangster) wrote the screenplay, directed the movie and starred as the blacksmith who was forced to make elaborate weapons for rival gangs. Russell Crowe (Robin Hood, A Beautiful Mind) was the curious Jack Knife, a man who was as comfortable with his knife as he was with his opium. And to interject a shot of estrogen into this dominant men’s club, Lucy Liu (Kill Bill Vol. 1, Charlie’s Angels) was the lethal Madam Blossom, with her bevy of poisonous beauties. The action drove the majority of this story and that was a good thing. With only Russell and Lucy doing any acting worth noting, the other characters were left portraying poor caricatures. There was a comic book flavor to this kung fu film with unsophisticated humor and sight gags. I will say some of the fight scenes were decent, but it lacked the finesse of a true martial arts master. If one is looking to see people getting the crap beat out of them in a somewhat creative way, this would be a cheap choice. Scenes with graphic violence and blood, including the movie trailer.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Robin Hood
I do not want to be biased here; but when I hear the words Robin Hood, I think of Errol Flynn. I cannot think of anyone else playing this role besides him. When I received this DVD I assumed the story would have a different spin on it, due to the director being Ridley Scott (Prometheus, Black Hawk Down). More than a spin, the movie was a prequel to the Robin Hood story most of us have seen before. Robin Longstride, played by Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator), was an archer in King Richard’s army. Upon Richard’s death, Robin returned to England, to bring the sword of deceased Sir Robert Loxley, played by Douglas Hodge (Vanity Fair, Mansfield Park), to his father Sir Walter Loxley, played by Max von Sydow (The Exorcist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close). Hearing the news of his son’s death, Sir Walter Loxley convinced Robin to become his son, which would protect his land holdings. In doing so, Robin had to step in and become the husband to the widow Marion Loxley, played by Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Notes on a Scandal). With the English monarchy being threatened by the French, Robin would have to do battle with Sir Robert Loxley’s killer. Are you confused yet? It took me a while to get a grasp of what was taking place in this odd movie. I found Russell Crowe a poor choice; he brought no emotion to the role. Cate, on the other hand, was her usual stellar self. The story made no sense. An entire town was to believe Robin was Sir Robert Loxley? Also, having a battle scene that looked like it was copied from Private Ryan was weird. Instead of robbing from other movies, why couldn’t they make a decent story for us poor viewers? Violent and bloody scenes.
2 1/4 stars — DVD
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