It is always a pleasure to watch documentaries about the golden age of HK action cinema and Serge Ou provides a very entertaining, if somewhat rushed exploration of the whole concept, in a style that matches the speed of those movies.
In that fashion, the movie begins with Run Run Shaw and the Shaw Brothers Empire, which is proclaimed as “The Death Star of Hong Kong movie studios”, due to its hoarding of actors, stages and equipment. Through a number of interviews with people such as Cheng Pei Pei and Wilson Yip, whose names barely stay on screen, the documentary deals with all aspects and stories of the era, from the way they implemented the sound, to the choreographies that were inspired from the Chinese opera, to the music. The way directors like Chang Cheh and Lau Kar Leung reinvigorated, changed and eventually shaped the genre is presented next. The huge impact Bruce Lee had on both Asia and the US, even after death with the bruceploitation and blacksploitation subgenres, and the way Run Run Shaw missed him from his hands are examined next, and considered the beginning of the demise of the studio. Jackie Chan takes center stage next, with his loss cementing the bankruptcy of Shaw Brothers Studios. The disregard for their lives Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and the stuntmen that worked with them exhibited, takes a significant part of the documentary, while Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton's interviews shed even more light in this concept, and the differences regarding shooting action movies in Hong Kong and the US.
A large part of the documentary focuses on the impact films like “Come Drink With Me”, “One Armed Swordsman” and the filmography of Bruce Lee had in American culture and particularly that of the Afro-American population, which were the most dedicated fans of kung fu movies. The impact HK cinema had on hip-hop and parkour is also examined by various artists and practitioners. Yuen Woo Ping's “invasion” through “The Matrix” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is also presented, while the film concludes with Thai, Indonesian, Ugandan and eventually straight to YouTube films that continue the legacy.
There are many things to like in “Iron Fists and Kung Fu flicks”. It is fast, funny, and in generally very entertaining in its effort to introduce Hong Kong action cinema and the influence it had all over the world. Geoff Ellis editing is very good, particularly in the way he connects that various footage, which include interviews, news videos from the era and movie segments.
The issue however, is that this pop approach results in a research that is rather epidermic in its effort to include as many elements and interviews as possible, to the point that none of the significant guests gets the time he or she deserved. In that regard, and since the research Serge Ou and Grady Hendrix have made is quite thorough and the comments they make, particularly regarding the connection of Hong Kong action with western pop culture rather interesting, I feel that the documentary would be better served as a series of episodes. The material is definitely there for something like that
“Iron Fists and Kung Fu Flicks” is entertaining and easy to watch, but would definitely benefit from some extended time that would allow its filmmakers to present their research and their comments better. On the other hand, if the purpose of the documentary was to makes its viewers to search, watch or rewatch these films, I can easily say that is succeeded to the fullest.