Can The RZA Save Russell Crowe?

Man, I remember the first time I saw Gladiator like the first time I had chicken nuggets. Now while I used to live quite a lavish life with the deez, ultimately I turned away from them. Russell Crowe is no different. The dude was literally 100,000% badass in "Gladiator" and since then he has fallen from the throne. Sure "Robin Hood" was dope, but shooting arrows through people's throats is child's play compared to chopping off a dude's head off scissor style, fighting tigers (and men with silver tigers on their heads) and saving the empire. His most recent film, "The Next 3 Days" had him playing marshmallowed professor who tries to bust his wife out of the slammer. I take it there were no chariot battles with sword flips or bad guys getting diced up in that film.

Now I'm not sure exactly what happened to the man who was Maximus. Patrick Goldstein of the LA Times thinks he's downfall as an action star is a reflection of the times. Looking at his most recent films, perhaps he just made some choices. Either way he's in a rough spot. However, could one man save him? Could one dude, so flipping cool simply turn his career around? And is that a man a rapper, producer, chess player, author, and Shaolin assassin known as the RZA?

The RZA may be known to some of my readers from his epic past with the rap group The Wu-Tang Clan. He is one the key producers and creative forces in the group, but he also is an actor, appearing in numerous films from auteurs like Tony Scott, Judd Apatow, and Jim Jarmusch. And now he can add "directing" to his list of talents. He is currently shooting "The Man With The Iron Fist" in China and Crowe is appearing in the film. Whaaaaaaat? Yeah, that's right, Crowe is going Kung Fu and I'm excited. Not super pumped, but excited.

The RZA is clearly cooler custom made coca cola popsicles and if anyone is going to put the max volume back in Maximus, it's going to be him. Here's hoping that Crowe gets back to slicing up bad guys, and since this is a kung fu joint, maybe he wont' even need swords. He'll use his hands, cause that would be "Gladiator" level badass.