If you can't wait the two weeks to see writer/director/star RZA's The Man with the Iron Fists, perhaps this animated prequel will suffice for now.  Narrated by RZA, the short follows the Blacksmith (RZA) traveling on his path to China and shows that not all of the fighting is confined to Jungle Village.  While it's more of a compilation of concept art than actual animated film, it's got a great feel to it (similar to Afro Samurai) and even establishes a history between the Blacksmith and one of the other characters from the feature film.

Also starring Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung, Cung Le and David BautistaThe Man with the Iron Fists opens November 2nd.  Hit the jump to check out the prequel. 

Here's the new animated prequel for RZA's The Man with the Iron Fists:

Here's the synopsis for the short The Man with the Iron Fists prequel:

This prequel side story to 'The Man with the Iron Fists' finds the Blacksmith (RZA) on his way to China via a Dutch trading vessel. At a typical port stop, the Blacksmith and the crew have an unfortunate encounter.

And here's the full synopsis for The Man with the Iron Fists feature:

Quentin Tarantino presents The Man With the Iron Fists, an action-adventure inspired by kung-fu classics as interpreted by his longtime collaborators RZA and Eli Roth.  Making his debut as a big-screen director and leading man, RZA—alongside a stellar international cast led by Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu—tells the epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in nineteenth-century China who must unite to destroy the clan traitor who would destroy them all.

Since his arrival in China’s Jungle Village, the town’s blacksmith (RZA) has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction.  When the clans’ brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon.  As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains, one man must harness this power to become savior of his adopted people.

Blending astonishing martial-arts sequences from some of the masters of this world with the signature vision he brings as the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and as one of hip-hop’s most dominant figures of the past two decades, RZA embarks upon his most ambitious, stylized and thrilling project to date.

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