Rating: 5 out of 5
Short version: Probably the strangest combination of kung fu and comedy you'll ever see, but you will be alternately awestruck and laughing out loud throughout the entire thing.
I often comment that I find it much more fun to write a review of a bad movie than a good one. Well folks, here's a definite exception to that rule. Kung Fu Hustle starred, was written and directed by Stephen Chow. Stephen was also the writer and director of last year's Shaolin Soccer, which I have decided I must go out and rent immediately.
On the surface, the plot of Kung Fu Hustle is pretty simple: Chinese gang terrorizes local towns except for the poorest which offer no profit. One day they decide they want to take over the town of Pig Sty (really) but things don't turn out as they expected as they are met with resistance and defiance by the local townfolk.
I really don't want to give too much away as that would spoil it for you, and I absolutely insist that if you are at all a fan of martial arts, action, or superhero movies, you must see this film once you have the opportunity to do so.
It starts out with an interesting contrast of dramatic music and a butterfly floating by imposing cliffs, which we eventually soar above to watch them turn into the title of the film. Immediately we are taken into a police station where we hear someone being beat up. The camera pans from room to room and floor to floor as the sounds continue, with everyone standing very still. At this point you won't be sure if you should be laughing or getting into "serious" mode, and Chow keeps you in this ambiguous place throughout this opening sequence. To give you an example, you will go from watching two characters murdered, one by shotgun and one by axe, directly into a dance sequence performed by the Axe Gang.
I told you this was wierd.
A couple of oddball characters show up in Pig Sty claiming to be members of the Axe Gang (Stephen Chow, Chi Chung Lam) and they end up complicating things for both the gang and the town. We are introduced to the most hysterically funny cast of characters I've seen in a long time including the flakey landlord of the town, his over the top domineering wife, a barber who can't seem to hike his pants up above his rear end (I predict a fashion trend launched right here), and a not quite macho tailor.
Article comments
1 - mike hollihan
If you haven't seen Shaolin Soccer, RUN immediately and rent it. Charming, funny, good-hearted, upbeat and the most jaw-dropping soccer matches you'll ever see. Don't get the American-edited version, if you can help it. Lots of funny bits of business got chopped.
2 - HW Saxton
Great review.Excellent movie.In terms of
sheer entertainment, this flick is hard
to beat. I gut-laughed several times at
this film(I was lucky enough to catch it
on the big screen)especially during the
soccer matches.
Asian Cinema is really coming into it's
own as of late.* Given the beauty of the
camera work,great acting, strong(though
often convoluted)stories and all those
Special FX combine for a most pleasant
movie going experience. I read where it
took almost 5 months(and that's just the
editing end of it) of constant work to
properly combine the blue screen shots,
acrobatic wire work and C.G.I. It shows
too,as it's one of the most well crafted
flicks
*Actually,what I mean to say is not that
Asian Cinema is coming into it's own,as
has always been good but rather it has
finally started to gain all of the long
overdue praise and recognition it has
coming.
PS:If you readers dug this flick,then be
on the look out for the sequel coming to
theaters this Summer: "Kung Fu Kickball"