November 9^th, 2012 marks the 19 year anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, which is arguably one of the best Hip Hop albums ever made. RZA the front-man of the legendary clan sparked a revolutionary movement that is still among us today. Wu-Tang is a lifestyle unto its own that many have embraced. The multiple members and their albums have been worshipped and many have been deemed classics (Liquid Swords, Tical, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Ironman to name a few), but when you’ve been doing music for so long, and you’ve made an illustrious living by giving birth to one of the greatest groups ever assembled in Hip Hop, there have to be other pursuits in life than you can embark on.

            Wu-Tang has always been kung-fu inspired, and what better way for RZA to make his directorial debut by mimicking it with his musical debut; holding true to the kung-fu movement. It’s the perfect fit for him, and many have seen his work as an actor (most notably in American Gangster which also starred Russell Crowe). His directorial debut was bound to be an action-filled adventure, and that didn’t disappoint. The movie reminded me of those old kung-fu movies I used to watch back in the 90s with the bad English dubbing and over-dramatic acting. That too tied in with this movie, and it’s good to see RZA solidifying his mark in Hollywood the way he wants to.

As I stated before, this movie was more for the action than the story itself. The story was simple enough, the acting wasn’t what I was looking for, because I know kung-fu movies don’t always have great acting (they can’t ALL be Kill Bill, folks), but what I got from it was some humour, a bunch of sex, lots of blood, and a nostalgic feel to it because of the way it was styled, shot & edited. You’d have to pay close attention to detail from watching a lot of kung-fu movies in order to pull of something like this. Also, having a good supporting cast is important, especially when you have people like the aforementioned Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu (who didn’t stray far from her O-Ren Ishii role in KB or Viper from Kung-Fu Panda), and Rick Yune (think back to the first Fast & the Furious…..I know it was a while ago).  All in all, it came together, and when you have RZA in charge of music for his own movie, then of course you’re going to be grooving to some good music while someone’s head gets cut off right in front of your eyes. It’s a good time. Oh yeah, remember who did the music for Kill Bill as well, so you knew what to expect.

-SideNote- The soundtrack, if you haven’t heard it yet, GO LISTEN TO IT!

Who knows if this will become a new staple for RZA to make yet another impact in the world (as if he hasn’t done enough), but for a first movie, he definitely got the attention of many, and you have to respect his craft, his hustle, and his art; especially if you’ve been a fan from the beginning. Always remember, “You can never master, it’s invincible, Wu-Tang indispensable, one nation under God, indivisible” – RZA

This is my opinion, this is my review, but for now

That’s My Word & It STiXX