One Spoon of Chocolate review: As a director, RZA channels Jordan Peeles social horror for an action film

You'd be forgiven for thinking One Spoon of Chocolate was made by someone who's never been near a camera. RZA may not be the first filmmaker to come to mind when thinking of martial arts cinema, but his lifelong obsession with the wuxia genre — seeds planted during the '90s heyday of his legendary rap group, Wu-Tang Clan — feels like it ought to trickle down in some fashion. Unfortunately, the result feels comically conceived, despite RZA having directed several features and TV episodes, including 2012's The Man with the Iron Fists, which he co-wrote with Eli Roth, and done a directing stint on Marvel’s Iron Fist (no relation).

The movie's scant hints of action feature racially motivated violence (and subsequent righteous reprisal) that arrive more in the form of mild bumps than heavy kicks and fists. It's also the umpteenth hor...