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Movie Review - Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Stephen Chow |
| Starring: |
Stephen Chow and a bunch of other Chinese people you haven't heard of |
| Rated: |
R (for sequences of strong stylized action and violence) |
| Length: |
95 minutes |
| Genre: |
Action/Comedy |
| Tagline: |
A new comedy unlike anything you have seen before |
| Studio: |
Sony |
| Website: |
Kung Fu Hustle |
| Release: |
April 22, 2005 |
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PLOT
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Two misfits desperately want to fit in with the infamous Axe Gang, and they're willing to subject themselves to
whatever depravity it'll take. Problems start when one of the misfits (Stephen Chow) tries to start trouble in
the poor, dirty little town of Pig Sty. The Axe Gang soon gets involved, but instead of bullying the town
as expected, it turns out quite a few martial arts legends reside there, and they decide they're not gonna
take the punishment. An entertainingly over-the-top Kung Fu movie ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Almost everything about Kung Fu Hustle is over-the-top, ridiculous, crazy, and completely implausible.
And I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are some people, like my mom for example, who'd probably watch about 5
minutes of it, exclaim, "This is stupid," and then move on. It's all about perspective, baby!
Kung Fu Hustle is a movie that is meant for pure entertainment purposes. If you're a fan of visually
enjoyable, stunt-driven movies that typically star Jackie Chan, then there's a good chance you'll enjoy this.
Here's just a sample of some of the crazy stuff you'll see:
- Guys getting kicked and knocked back about hundred feet, crashing through concrete.
- A woman who possesses the "Lion's Roar" and can defeat enemies with just her scream. Throw in a huge bell
as a speaker and she's practically unstoppable!
- A dude turning into some sort of human-frog as part of a Kung Fu move.
- Kung Fu masters/musicians who can summon swords and undead-looking creatures by strumming strings on
whatever instrument that is they're playing.
- A guy getting his face punched completely into the concrete ... AND SURVIVING!
Got the idea? There is also a good deal of humor mixed in, and it's used to great satiric effect on the
Kung Fu/Action movie genre. Why does Stephen Chow want to be part of the Axe Gang? Well, when he was a kid,
he tried to help out a mute girl who was being picked on. He got beat up, and it was right then and there
that he decided good guys never win and he wanted to be a bad guy. It's also great fun watching him and
his chubby, overall-clad friend trying to act tough and then getting beaten up by the wimpiest of characters.
There is some silly and goofy stuff also. When characters start running around like the Roadrunner and Wile E.
Coyote cartoon then you'll probably be shaking your head at the goofiness, but I bet you'll be chuckling as
well.
That's what Kung Fu Hustle is all about. There's a bit of a redemption story thrown in as well, but the
plot takes a backseat to the visual show.
If you want something fresh, zany, and original that strays greatly from the Hollywood norm then I recommend
Kung Fu Hustle.
There's probably a critic out there somewhere who will say something stupid like, "I recommend that you do the
Hustle ... the Kung Fu Hustle," but I refuse to subject you to such bad punnage.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Stephen Chow also directed and starred in Shaolin Soccer. I hear it's pretty good, but I've yet to
see it. I'm interested in checking it out now.
- Kung Fu Hustle won the Best Picture prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
- Wah Yuen is in Dragon Squad with Michael Biehn who was in Tombstone with Stephen Lang who was
in Finish Line with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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Some of the violence may be a little too much for really young kids, and a dude running around half the time
with his pants hanging down isn't exactly kid-friendly, but the content isn't all that bad. Profanity is
pretty light. I do believe there was only one f-bomb, but since this is subtitled I guess it won't even matter for
children who can't read. And hey, if you're illiterate AND you don't like profanity, then you're in good shape!
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer is very indicative of what to expect. If it looks totally stupid and unfunny to you, then chances are
you should save your money.
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THE GIST
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If you're in the mood for a crazy, over-the-top Kung Fu movie that doesn't come close to taking itself seriously,
and you don't mind subtitles, then check out Kung Fu Hustle. Or if you just need to see something that
doesn't follow the typical Hollywood movie formula, then this will keep you entertained.
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