Russell Crowe's 2012 Martial Arts Movie Features A Pre-Marvel Dave Bautista

Anyone who is familiar with the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA knows that he is a fan of martial arts movies, which is evident in all of the kung fu flick samples he uses in his music. So, it's unsurprising that his 2012 directorial debut, "The Man with the Iron Fists," is a martial arts film that pours RZA's lifelong fandom into an entertaining genre pastiche. What's more, the actioner boasts an all-star cast that includes Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, Pam Grier, and Dave Bautista (right before he was catapulted into superstardom thanks to Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy").

Co-written by RZA and Eli Roth, "The Man with the Iron Fists" is an action-packed bloodbath set in 19th-century China. RZA plays a nameless blacksmith who gets stuck in the middle of a battle between warring clans, forcing him to gather a group of heroes to protect a lawless village from the baddies. However, Crowe steals the show as Jack Knife, a promiscuous British soldier who refers to his manhood as "the baby's arm" — and you can tell the actor is having a ball. Meanwhile, Bautista portrays a mercenary named Brass Body, whose main skill — you guessed it — is turning his body into literal brass and punching people.

"The Man with the Iron Fists" isn't one of the best martial arts movies ever made, nor is it considered one of the greatest Russell Crowe films in existence. That said, it's a fun, pulpy, and bloody fantasy with lots of fighting and a hip-hop swagger — one that boasts a terrific sense of world-building and a cast of interesting characters. What's more, it helped Bautista fully concentrate on taking Hollywood by storm.

Dave Bautista had starred in some movies before "The Man with the Iron Fists," but we are talking straight-to-video fare like "Wrong Side of Town" and "The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption." When RZA's debut was still in development, the pro wrestler-turned-actor had just left WWE and was training to become a mixed-martial artist for the Strike Force promotion, which put him into contact with one of the director's buddies. This ultimately led to him being offered the role of Brass Body — an opportunity big Dave seized. As he told XXL:

"I wanted to work with RZA so bad that I said, 'Yeah, let me do this.' So, I really based my year around this movie, which I had to put my fighting off with Strike Force. I put it off for so long that it ended up going in the tank because they got bought out by UFC. That's just the way it is, but now, my relationship with RZA is just growing."

Just think — if Strike Force stuck around and Bautista dedicated himself to MMA, acting might not have been his priority. Thus, the success that came with "Guardians of the Galaxy" and other projects that followed could have been delayed for years. We have "Man with the Iron Fists" to thank for pulling him away from the fight game and speeding up his Hollywood ascent ... even if hardly anyone has seen the flick.