Kung Fu Hustle

My first experience with Hong Kong producer/director/writer/actor Stephen Chow came when a good friend recommended Shaolin Soccer (2001), a film which I enjoyed a lot primarily due to its kinetic energy and off the wall, mind bending special effects, so when I heard Chow was coming out with another feature, titled Kung Fu Hustle (2004), I was very interested...sadly, I missed the theatrical release, but I was able to catch it on video and I wasn't disappointed. Co-written and directed by Stephen Chow (God of Cookery, Shaolin Soccer), who also shares credits in producing, writing, and original music, the film features Chow, along with Qiu Yuen (Kung Fu Mahjong), Wah Yuen (Kung Fu Mahjong), Zhi Hua Dong, Kwok-Kwan Chan (Shaolin Soccer), Chi Chung Lam (Kung Fu Mahjong), and Siu-Lung Leung (Kung Fu 12 Kicks). As the film, set in the 1930s, begins we learn a ruthless group known as the Axe Gang pretty much control everything through intimidation (and axes), except for an area known as Pig Sty Alley, a poor, residential block not worth bothering with as those who live there have very little, if anything, to offer up. As a result the residents of Pig Sty Alley live a relatively peaceful life under the thumb of their chain-smoking, hag-like landlord who's always dressed in a natty nightgown, rollers in her hair, and funky flip flops. One day a pair of hapless buffoons show up, one of them named Sing (Chow), pretending to be Axe Gang members, and start pushing people around (in a really funny sequence), resulting in the appearance of the real Axe Gang. Well, turns out three residents of Pig Sty Alley are actually powerful, semi-retired warriors, and a crazy battle ensues as the trio single-handedly beat the crud out of the gang. The gang retreats to lick their wounds and ends up hiring a pair of musicians who moonlight as professional killers and another fantastic fight sequence ensues. Meanwhile, Sing and his fat friend, eager to join the Axe Gang, are tasked to perform some evilness, in which they fail miserably. Things get a bit murky around this point, but the gang ends up having to hire the number one killer, someone known as The Beast, played by Siu-Lung Leung, who's currently locked away in a mental institution due to the fact he studied kung fu so intensely it caused him to go crazy (I guess). Anyway, turns out Sing, the bumbling would be criminal, has within him a power even he's not aware of, one rivals even The Beast himself. While I'm not an expert on Asian cinema, I have seen enough of it to know at least one thing...a good deal of it doesn't often make a lot of sense, to me at least (but then again I'm an idiot). Maybe this is due to translation issues tied to my own Westernized sensibilities, I don't know, but I've come to expect, and even rely on, the fact that whenever I watch an Asian import, specifically within the martial arts genre, there's going to be aspects I won't understand, and that's certainly true of Kung Fu Hustle. I don't see this as a negative aspect as generally I can get the gist of the story (the student avenging the death of an authority figure theme is pretty common) even if some of the finer points are lost. Here the main theme seems to be protectors coming forth to stand up for the little guy against seemingly insurmountable odds. I went with that, letting the rest (the parts that didn't make sense) slide, managing to get through the film quite easily, helped immeasurably along by the virtual non-stop, high flying, kinetic, highly comedic action and crazy go nuts special effects work. At times the film seemed like a live action Looney Tunes cartoon given the balls out silliness involved (there's a foot chase sequence that's right out of a Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon). One of my favorite parts of the film occurs near the beginning when Sing and his fat friend venture into Pig Sty Alley. Sing, trying to appear tougher than he actually is, starts antagonizing a gathered crowd of residents, challenging individuals to a one on one fight. In doing so he tries to pick out those who would seem easy to beat, the first being a man in the crowd who actually turns out to be a giant (seems when the man was in the crowd he was sitting down, so Sing, only seeing the man's head, assumed the man was a relatively small guy). Once Sing sees how tall the guy actually is he decides to choose another, resulting in similar scenarios. Obviously this is a visual gag, so much will be lost reading about it here. There's so much overall nuttiness going on in this film it's hard to describe it, but if you dig on zany Three Stooges antics, you'll probably enjoy this feature. Hardcore film fans may also get a kick out of the film as there's plenty of references to other films, in particular The Shining (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), and Spider-Man (2002), to name a few. One thing to keep in mind is this is the American theatrical release of the film, so some aspects have been toned down (apparently some of the bloody bits have been removed from the fight sequences). As far as the computer generated effects (CGI), they look as sharp here as in a film like The Matrix (1999), and there's a lot of it, so if you're not a big fan of that type of effects work, you probably won't enjoy the film. I can accept a lot of it, if it looks good and ties within the story (which felt like the case here), but I dislike its extensive usage meant to fill gaps in a production, the intent being to draw focus away from said gaps, as is generally the case with films from someone like Roland Emmerich, responsible for such features as Godzilla (1998) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004). All in all I thought this film a blast, one worth multiple viewings. The picture, presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1), looks exceptionally sharp, and the audio, available in original Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, dubbed English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track, and dubbed French Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround comes across beautifully. As far as extras there's a commentary track with Chow and a few performers (with English subtitles), a forty minute featurette titled Behind the Scenes of Kung Fu Hustle, two deleted scenes, an interview piece with Stephen Chow, an outtakes and bloopers reel, a poster gallery for the film, a whole slew of previews for other Sony releases, and subtitles available in English and French. All in all a great package for a highly entertaining film, one I'm probably going to watch more than once. Cookieman108 Keep in mind the film is rated `R', as the zany antics I alluded to earlier come off fairly violent played out in live action form, so I wouldn't recommend this film for younger children unless their minds are already warped, then I suppose it probably won't matter...

Just know that this is a favorite Cult classic movie that most people would find enjoyable and fun to watch, great entertainment movie, Choice of subtitles and voice overs

There is a local cable station where I live that, late at night, often shows these tedious kung fu films that I can only assume are or were the mainstay for Hong Kong, Taiwan and some main land China film goers. Most of the action is between one or two young assailants and one older defender made up to appear older with white hair, puffy eyebrows and beard.) Foley artists I expect were exhausted after adding loud snaps and bangs to every contact between the fighters who, except for an occasional flip or ricochet off a tree, are fairly earthbound. And it is impossible to deduce from their barely subtitled dialogue what they are fighting about. Also, these battles almost always take place in a forest or rocky glen. Recent kung fu epics like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hero; and House of Flying Daggers, to name only a few, have raised the bar both stylistically and in terms of production values. Stephen Chow, director and co-writer of Kung Fu Hustle, has taken the genre one step further: while keeping the high standards in fight choreography, special and trapeze effects, camera work and editing found in the aforementioned films, Chow produces an at first glance comedic kung fu movie that also incorporates American film genres, not only to inject this latter iconography into his story but also to expand the viewer's consciousness of the toll and meaning (or meaninglessness of) violence. It is obvious that Chow is an avid devotee of Hollywood: he appropriates 1930s musicals a la Fred Astaire in the dance Axe Gang leader Brother Sum and his mob do in their stronghold. Pig Sty Alley is a Chinese version a Bowery Boys back alley. Music, both traditional Chinese string orchestra and snippets from Western classical violin concerts, is used as a continuous underscore. And the physical comedy employed in the first half of the film - among them falls from buildings that do not injure, fist distorted features that snap back like rubber, running legs reduced to a cyclonic blur, people moved dozen of yards in less than a blink of an eye - all draw on Hollywood prototypes, especially the cartoons produced by Warner Brothers in the middle of the last century. While the callous execution of a rival gang in the middle of the street has the expected comic twist and is nonetheless tolerated despite the carnage, the early death of the coolie, tailor and Donut the baker - the three initial defenders of the Pig Sty Alley - come, on reflection, as something of a shock. Who now is going to step up and defend Pig Sty Alley? The landlord and his wife come forward, revealing their mastery of the martial arts that is almost enough to conquer the Beast - almost, but not quite. Their salvation, and Shanghai's deliverance from the murderous tyranny of the Axe Gang is the transformation from street thug and gang wannabe (and secretly noble) Sing (played by director Chow) into a superfighter who finally vanquishes the Beast. Throughout, the most vicious and powerful kung fu attacks barely graze the combatants, which maintains the sense of comedy even while the good guys are dying. Chow plays with this violent-comic, good-evil dichotomy with a master's touch. And yet on reflection we realize that more than good entertainment is at stake here. The violence is neutralized by the comedy, and yet the characters, who are so well drawn by this talented cast and its director, are taken from us too soon. Kung Fu Hustle plays this crafty game with us: amazing us with special effects-enhanced fight scenes, making us laugh with well timed and conceived comic bits and pratfalls, but in the end leaving us with an odd dissatisfaction, as much with the film as with the genre. Hollywood inspired images transcend the nominal crudeness of run-of-the-mill chop-socky far, but also raise the stakes in that the characters gain dimension, and in doing so leave the view bereft by their passing. While being more cartoonish, Kung Fu Hustle becomes more real. Hung Fu Hustle comes highly recommended, and we can only hope that its sequel, due out in 2008, lives up to the standards set by this imaginative and unsettling film.

One of the best movies ever, especially if you have a true sense of humor and light heart to understand different cultures.

I will always rewatch this movie forever!

The movie, Kung-Fu Hustle, didn't strike me as something I would go and buy- but someone introduced me to the flick, and by the end of the first scene, I was hooked. Nothing is funnier than classic archetypes portrayed in the most animated way possible, over-the-top hyper-serious scenes that are peppered with the absurdity of the human need to be better than one's self. The characters, acted perfectly, are written to be likeable, bizarre, and even intrinsically identifiable. But the action, whether it be a gang slaughter at a police station, or a dance scene in the middle of a street, fits well with the wit of the play within the players. Had this been written as a non-comedy, I'd likely be horrified by every action- but as it is- it makes the idea of violence for violence sake a concept that only clowns and buffoons can master. Kung Fu Hustle is a film of martial arts mastery, high energy comedy, the twists of the human condition, and certainly a statement of the Haves and Have-Nots. Just a wild ride, escapism in its truest form.

I LOVE this movie!!!

This movie is a classic! We always enjoy watching this movie!

receved parcel

Dieses leckere Filmken ist redlichst bemüht, so ziemlich alle bekannte Klischees zu bedienen. Aber nur um sie im nächsten Augenblick mit einem Skalpell nicht zu sezieren, sondern hauchfein in Streifen auseinander zu hacken! Es gibt Helden in diesem Film, sogar Superhelden. Aber nicht solche, wie die üblichen Verdächtigen. Die Superhelden in diesem Streifen ziehen sich nicht in einer Telefonzelle um, sondern kämpfen mit Lockenwicklern und Raucherhusten. Nebenbei finden die sogar noch Zeit das unsagbar Böse zu bekämpfen! Schon das Intro lässt mich grinsen. Toll gemacht dieser Schmetterling, der da durch die Schluchten zischt. Normalerweise ist der actionverwöhnte Zuschauer solche Szenen ja gewohnt. Tausche Schmetterling gegen Kampfhubschrauber oder Ähnliches. Dazu die Musik, perfekt aber ein Schmetterling? Sofort innerhalb der ersten 5 Minuten wird es glasklar wo die Reise hingeht. Herrlich kaputt, abgefahren und makaber bis zum geht nicht mehr. Wie sagte er doch so schön zu ihr, dass sie keine Angst haben muss, denn er würde einer Frau niemals ein Haar krümmen und sie soll in Frieden gehen? Dann schießt er ihr in den Rücken und einer seiner Leute brüllt zu der Fensterfront hoch:“Kommt runter und macht die Straße sauber!“ Eine tanzende und dabei die Axt schwingende Verbrechergang in einem Kung Fu Film habe ich auch noch nie gesehen. Genauso wenig eine „RESIDENZ SCHWEINESTALL“. Der Film besticht durch seine Machart. Die Kameraführung erstklassig, alltägliche Dinge werden aus anderen Perspektiven gezeigt und wirken so ungewohnt. Wie zum Beispiel der Nudelmacher. Erst gezeigt von oben und dann von der Seite, die Kameraperspektive in Hüfthöhe mit dem Weitwinkel drauf gehalten, sieht krass aus. Warum gurgelt der Vermieter nach dem Essen mit Schnaps bevor er ihn runter schluckt? Womöglich zum desinfizieren, damit er sich nix einfängt oder so. Ebenso herrlich die Szene als die Vermieterin das Fenster aufreißt und sich raus beugt. Unter ihr auf der Wäscheleine hängt ein BH. Durch den geschickten Aufnahmewinkel kommt das sehr gut rüber *grins* Der Film bietet alles, teilweise kindlichen Humor, stellenweise makaber und fies ohne Ende. Dann und wann wird es Ernst und brutale Szenen sind zu sehen. Auch Mystik gibt es ala „CHINESE GHOST STORY“ und leckere Kampfszenen sowieso. Gestalten, die einem Horrorfilm entsprungen sein könnten tauchen ebenfalls auf. Damit ist net die Vermieterin gemeint, sondern die fliegenden untoten Krieger. Die Schauspieler sind gnadenlos gut und bestechen mit einer Mimik, die einen weg haut. Der Friseur ist der Brüller, die chinesische Version von Mama Flodder sowieso. Ich hab glaub bei der Szene mit dem Messer im Arm und in den Schultern10mal zurück gespult, das ist soooo deftig und abgedreht. „Was tut das Messer da?“ und „Gehört das Messer dahin?“. Absolut genialer Dialog von den zwei Möchtergern-Killern. Der Streifen hat mächtig was auf dem Kasten, sogar rührselige Momente und herzzereißende Szenen sind da mit verbraten und Special-Effekte ala Matrix. Maß halten gibt es in diesem Film nicht, alles wirkt übersteigert und aufgedreht. Die Handlung, total daneben, die Filmfiguren sowieso. Bisschen beknackt, das reicht nicht also total beknackt muss ein Dummie dann schon sein. Kampfszenen kann man das nicht nennen, das sind Schlachten. Einer gegen eine Übermacht. Die Macher des Filmes drehen gewaltig am Rad, so weit, weiter geht es fast schon nicht mehr. Da wo andere inne halten und sagen:“Neee, neee, das geht jetzt so wirklich nicht, das können wir so nicht bringen!“, da fangen die erst an. Da sind die noch beim warmlaufen und legen noch ein Schippe drauf, noch eine und noch eine.... Stephen Chow in den Fußstapfen von Monty Phyton! Ein kurzweiliges Filmvergnügen.

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Un plaisir pour se détendre en famille.

The funniest kung fu movie ever it's hilarious and well done