Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Circle of Iron Blu-ray Movie Review

Camp-tastic moviemaking comes to Blu-ray in the form of another good package from Blue Underground.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 27, 2009

Whatever you think I am, or want me to be, I am.

Pitch a tent, unroll the sleeping bag, spark up a fire, and grab the marshmallows. A project conceived by Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee, Circle of Iron revels in cheesy goodness, the film the very definition of "camp." Serving up a semi-serious story on the importance of self and mental and emotional, rather than solely physical, growth, and told with plenty of intentional and unintentional humor on the side, the movie is consistently bathed in Fantasy/Adventure clichés, often giving it the feel of a third-rate Conan rip-off (depite being released years before Schwarzenegger's famed collection of films). It boasts a tired story that sets a musclebound hero with long, curly hair on an adventure to claim his right to battle for a mystic treasure; the proud warrior who thinks he can do no wrong but has yet to realize that his pecs or biceps are not the most important muscles in the body; several goofy side-characters, some of them played by the same recognizable actor; the wise old teacher whose albeit obscured-in-parable teachings are all but laughed off; and the obligatory twist ending that ties it all together. Despite all the problems, Circle of Iron is just a blast to watch, if only to become immersed in the world of camp filmmaking -- and all that implies -- at its very best.

Check out my bling.

In ancient times, a lone warrior named Cord (Jeff Cooper) sets out to learn the secrets of a mystical tome that supposedly reveals all a man could wish to know. Standing guard over the book is an equally impressive warrior, Zetan, a foe an admittedly unprepared Cord must ultimately face should he wish to take his quest to completion. Along the way, Cord meets a blind martial artist (David Carrdine, Kill Bill) with incredible skill, greater even than Cord's. Cord wishes for the blind man to train him; instead, the master serves up several truisms disguised as parables and riddles meant to challenge Cord mentally rather than physically. As Cord continues on his journey, with the blind man seemingly a step ahead, he encounters friend and foe alike as he continues on the path towards his inevitable showdown and physical confrontation with Zetan that will certainly come to define his life.

Circle of Iron represents the sort of movie that one wouldn't be surprised to find airing on some cut-rate public access television channel at three in the morning. It follows -- and never strays from -- a terribly basic and absolutely linear plot line that introduces the main character, sees him through the ups and downs of the several trials that dot his path, and the inevitable denouement that suddenly allows the hero to fully grasp the meaning of all his encounters along the way. For a movie that's meant to offer up spiritual guidance and highlight the importance of self-awareness and one's place in the world, Circle of Iron instead comes off as terribly shallow and not all that far from a mild parody of its genre. It's still well worth watching not for the deeper philosophical undertones that become almost an afterthought under the deluge of cliché but rather for the unintentional humor and deliciously woeful acting from its star.

Jeff Cooper's performance as Cord should serve as the definition of "ridiculous." Much like his character, he seems like an Arnold-lite sort, lacking both the physical bulk and the charm of the Austrian Oak. Cooper seems to recognize the futility of even attempting to flesh out his shallow character, and to his credit most of the ridiculous grins and faux-hero poses seem to come straight out of a tight embrace of the character's as-scripted attributes that seem to paint him as an over-the-top, single-minded sort whose brawn-over-brains routine is meant only to reinforce the plot's themes on mental, emotional, and spiritual growth as more important factors to one's personal success in all endeavors, the physical aspect of the martial arts included. In that vein, Cooper's performance cannot be ridiculed all that much; whether intentional or not, it's sure to bring joy to all those that behold its utter goofiness from beginning to end. Circle of Iron also stars David Carrdine in several roles. He offers the most balanced performance(s) throughout, supported by a nice assortment of name actors in secondary roles, including Christopher Lee, Roddy McDowall, and Eli Wallach.

Circle of Iron Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Circle of Iron traverses onto Blu-ray with a hit-or-miss 1080p, 1.66:1-framed transfer. The somewhat rare-to-Blu-ray aspect ratio will place two small vertical black bars on either side of the 1.78:1 screen. The image continuously fluctuates between sharp and soft, sometimes distractingly so and not from scene to scene but occasionally from shot to shot. Grain may be found throughout, swirling about rather heavily, and spiking considerably in a few select scenes. The print is also plagued by any number of scratches, pops, and speckles, all of which is accompanied by a horizontal line pattern in one scene that looks like cracked-open mini blinds reflecting on the screen, while a vertical line comes and goes through parts of the film's middle segment. Still, Circle of Iron generally looks good overall. Detail and texture never highly impresses, but several objects, for instance stone walls and dusty rock faces out in nature look borderline great in context. Colors are abundant; there's far more here than the occasional splash of green shrubbery dotted on a sandy terrain, and most of them look fine in context. Blacks fluctuate between dark and inky and gray and dull and are sometimes accompanied by copious amounts of noise, a prime example being a nighttime fight in chapter 12. Flesh tones also veer heavily towards a deep red shade. While certainly not a handsome transfer, Circle of Iron looks fine for what it is, absorbed in the proper frame of mind, and given leniency for what is not the prettiest of sources.

Circle of Iron Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Circle of Iron surrounds listeners with a pair of 7.1 lossless soundtracks, one each of the DTS and Dolby TrueHD varieties. The DTS track is notably louder than the Dolby mix, though there seems to be no discernible difference in absolute clarity. The mix features an active sound field across the front as the movie opens in a Gladiator-type arena where warriors battle one another for the right to enter the trials to confront Zetan. Ambient crowd noise during the fights sound spacious if not a bit canned, but there is not much in the way of a rear-channel presence here or elsewhere. One instance where the back channels do come alive may be found in chapter five as the blind warrior swirls a bamboo stick around as a weapon to take down several thugs. The weapon's movement may be traced sonically around the soundstage as it flows perfectly from one speaker to the next. Generally, however, there's not much to this one. A few ear-piercing effects may be heard scattered throughout the movie, for instance the shriek of a monkey-man hybrid beast in chapter seven. Outside of a few action scenes that don't necessarily do anything to stand out from the crowd, Circle of Iron relies on its music and dialogue to drive the picture, and each are represented suitably well by these soundtracks.

Circle of Iron Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Circle of Iron (otherwise known as The Silent Flute) serves up several extra features, headlined by a commentary track with Director Richard Moore and Blue Underground's David Gregory. With Gregory leading the discussion, Moore speaks on the change in title, his work on the project, shooting in Israel and the various locations, the actors and crew, themes, and much more. Playing the Silent Flute -- Interview With Star David Carradine (480p, 13:56) features the late actor reminiscing on the film. The Producer -- Interview With Co-Producer Paul Maslansky (480p, 28:45) offers the producer recalling in some detail his career with emphasis on his contributions to Circle of Iron. Karate Master -- Interview With Martial Arts Coordinator Joe Lewis (480p, 31:01) again begins with a detailed recap of Lewis' life and moves on to take an in-depth look at his work on Circle of Iron. Also included is an audio-only interview with co-writer Stirling Silliphant (25:23) where he discusses his relationship with Bruce Lee. Also included near the end of the piece is a text reproduction of a discussion revolving around Circle of Iron. Rounding out this package are two Circle of Iron trailers -- International (480p, 3:04) and U.S. (480p, 1:57) -- and a trio of 30-second TV spots presented in 480p standard definition.

Circle of Iron Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A delectable slice of cinematic camp, Circle of Iron should delight viewers that approach the film with an open mind and a willingness to give the movie's shortcomings a pass and revel in the humorous onslaught of cliché, poor acting, and dreadful characterization that define the picture far more than its intended purpose as a commentary on the importance of mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. Blue Underground's Blu-ray release suits the picture well. Featuring a rough-around-the-edges 1080p transfer, a fair lossless soundtrack, and a decent selection of extras, Circle of Iron comes recommended with the caveat that the picture may disappoint if not viewed in the proper context.