KUNG FU HUSTLE

Directed by Stephen Chow
Written by Tsang Kan Cheong, Stephen Chow, Xin Huo and Chan Man Keung

Set during pre-revolutionary China, Sing, played by Chow, and his sidekick, known as Sing’s sidekick, are a couple of losers who try to make something out of themselves by pretending they are in the nefarious Axe Gang. They go to Pig Sty Alley, a run-down apartment complex, to shakedown its inhabitants, but this plan goes from bad to worse very quickly. Not only are Sing and his sidekick defeated by the Pig Style Alley’s landlord and tenants, but they also draw the attention of the real Axe Gang, who think they are coming to the aid of fellow gang members.

Powerful fighters who had been secretly living in Pig Sty Alley are forced to give up their identities to protect their neighbors from the gang. The trio gives them a good thrashing, but the gang’s leader won’t settle for losing, that’s why he’s the leader. He sends two stronger fighters back to Pig Sty Alley to avenge the gang. The action and the powers of fighters escalate in intensity with each battle eventually leading to the release of the Beast, the most powerful kung fu master. Will this evil man rule the day or will the chosen one of legend emerge to save the day?

In Kung Fu Hustle, a title that has obviously lost something in translation, Chow takes equal parts Bruce Lee and Bugs Bunny to intentionally create one of the funniest martial arts I have ever seen. I laughed almost the entire time. Chow is joined behind the camera by famed action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping, who worked on The Matrix trilogy and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with some additional assistance from Sammo Hung. Together, they create a visual roller coaster ride as the many great fight sequences build in intensity to the climax.

Chow makes good use of combining CGI with live action because it wasn’t being used to seamlessly fit into the film unnoticed and it added to the comedy. The CGI effects are so unnatural and outlandish that the film becomes a live-action cartoon, such as the chase sequence where the characters legs spin around so fast they resemble the Roadrunner’s. Other funny moments include Sing as a child who defends the honor of a young deaf girl, and the characters of the landlady and landlord, who were so funny that they should get their own film.

Kung Fu Hustle was a lot of fun, but those who take their martial arts seriously might not care for how silly the movie gets. The violence doesn’t get bloody so it is good for kids of almost all ages. I was completely surprised that this film earned an R rating. There’s certianly nothing here that can’t be viewed by 14 to 17 year-olds and even younger. If they’ve seen a Tom & Jerry cartoon, and I don’t mean one of the stupid ones where they are pals, then they’ve already seen the extent of the film’s violence.