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Blu-ray Review The Man with the Iron Fists 2 Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Todd Erwin

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The Man with the Iron Fists 2 Blu-ray Review

Universal’s The Man with the Iron Fists 2 continues the studio’s tradition of inexpensive, ludicrous, and unnecessary direct-to-video sequels to their somewhat successful theatrical originals, lacking any star power that the first film may have had. Arriving on Netflix day and date with the Blu-ray should raise a red flag to potential viewers.



Studio: Universal

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DTS, French 5.1 DTS

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Rating: Not Rated, R

Run Time: 1 Hr. 30 Min. (R-rated); 1 Hr. 31 Min. (Unrated)

Package Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, UltraViolet

2-disc Blu-ray keepcase with outer sleeve

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer), DVD-9 (dual layer)

Region: ABC, 1

Release Date: 04/14/2015

MSRP: $34.98




The Production Rating: 1.5/5

RZA returns as Thaddeus the Blacksmith in The Man with the Iron Fists 2, turning over the director’s chair to Universal’s direct-to-video veteran Roel Reine (The Marine 2, Death Race 2, The Scorpion King 3, Death Race: Inferno). As the film opens, Thaddeus is injured and unconscious, floating downstream to a village that takes him in. As luck would have it, the town is located near a fountain of youth, which Thaddeus was in search of before floating in the river. But there is conflict within the town between the Mayor (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Master Ho (Carl Ng), leader of the Beetle Clan. Several action sequences ensue, but are so poorly choreographed that they appear obviously choreographed, and are just plain boring. This all leads to Thaddeus making iron legs for the Mayor, who turns out to be the evil Lord Pi (not a real shocker). One would think this plot device would be so that the Man with the Iron Fists would have a showdown with the Man with the Iron Legs, but you would be sadly disappointed. The truth is that Thaddeus has very little to do here, allowing villager Li Kung (Dustin Nguyen) to be the film’s hero.

And those are just a few of the many problems with the film. Running a scant 91 minutes (89 for the R-rated version), the film feels like at least twice that. RZA has very little screen presence, and his voice reminded me way too often of Elmer Fudd. The unrated version contains a few additional shots of violence and gore. Viewer beware...



Video Rating: 3.5/5  3D Rating: NA

The movie was obviously shot on digital video, as the 1080p image is often too pristine and free of any sense of film grain (with the exception of the opening title sequence and flashbacks, where grain and scratches were added artificially). Colors are consistent and not oversaturated, but blacks suffer from some very obvious crush during many of the night scenes. Detail is adequate, about what one would expect from a cheap, direct to video release.



Audio Rating: 3.5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does its job, with dialogue steered mostly to the center channel and music and effects spread across the fronts and rears. What is lacking is an active LFE channel, particularly when Thaddeus clanks his metal fists together or when Lord Pi walks on his iron legs.



Special Features Rating: 3/5

Audio Commentary with Director Roel Reine and Executive Producer/Co-Writer/Star RZA: The two discuss making the film and the challenges of shooting in Thailand.

Deleted Scenes (1080p; 11:40): A total of eight scenes are offered, without any commentary as to why they were left on the cutting room floor.

Chi Warriors: The Making of The Man with the Iron Fists 2 (1080p; 12:42): Behind the scenes footage, intercut with interviews with RZA, Dustin Nguyen, Roel Reine, and other members of the cast and crew.

DVD Copy: The movie in 480p, trailers for Black Sea, The Boy Next Door, Blackhat, The Scorpion King 4, and the same set of Special Features as on the Blu-ray version.

Digital HD Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy through both Ultraviolet partners and iTunes. The code is subject to expiration, but no expiration date was provided.



Overall Rating: 2.5/5

The Man with the Iron Fists 2 is a painful experience, a waste of 90 minutes. Those who are curious are well-advised to check it out on Netflix before purchasing.


Reviewed By: Todd Erwin


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