KUNG FU HUSTLE (2004) - Movie Review

Director: Stephen Chow
Starring: Stephen Chow, Huang Shengyi, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, Leung Siu-lung
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Writer: Stephen Chow, Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, Tsang Kan-cheung
Runtime: 99 min
Rated: Rated R for sequences of strong stylized action and violence
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

A hapless wanna be gangster, Sing, must overcome his inability to wield a knife and demonstrate his mettle in order to become a member of the notorious Axe Gang. The Axe Gang, meanwhile, want to reign supreme by occupying the most coveted territory, which is a sacred street protected by an unlikely cast of characters, many of whom are highly skilled kung fu masters disguised as ordinary people. After several encounters with thugs and a fearsome adversary known as the Beast, Sing overcomes his inadequacy and realizes he is the greatest kung fu master of them all, destined to protect the sacred street.

Review:

"Kung Fu Hustle" is probably one of the most unique martial arts movies I have ever seen. A love letter to the Wuxia genre and cinema in general, the film is a wacky genre-bending action comedy that pits unlikely heroes against despicable villains, but as simple as the plot may be, writer/director/actor Stephen Chow uses it to mold an intoxicating masterpiece that can jump from feel-good spoof to heartfelt drama with the agility and precision of a Kung Fu master.

Chow assembles a dizzying ensemble of quirky characters, some played by former Hong Kong action cinema stars, who act like characters in a Loony Tunes cartoon. The dialogue is hilarious, but you should watch the movie with the English dub on in order to get the funniest version of Chow's script. The english subtitle is actually a lot tamer and toned down, and most lines are vastly different even from the original Cantonese audio. It's very possible the script was considered too politically incorrect, and that's why all the streaming versions for this movie omit the English dub. That's a criminal shame. If you intend to watch this movie, find a DVD or Blu-ray.

There's also plenty of spoofing in this movie, with references to so many movies, including "The Matrix", "West Side Story", "Gone With the Wind", "Return of the Dragon", "The Big Boss", "Casablanca", "The Untouchables", "The Blues Brothers", "Internal Affairs", "Karate Kid", "Spider-Man", "The Boxer from Shantung", "The Godfather", "Forrest Gump", "The Shining" and more. Hell, even the Road Runner cartoons get the spoof treatment in one of the film's many manic scenes.

Chow's action scenes are a whirlwind mixture of the violence and grit of old-school martial arts movies with CGI-assisted physics-bending slapstick reminiscent of the old Tex Avery and Chuck Jones cartoons. Yes, the CGI is a bit rough, but it's not bad for a twenty year-old movie, and it's not supposed to look too polished, or realistic, since it's integral to the movie's surreal cartoonish charm. The choreography is unbelievable, an imaginative visual feast, and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the greatest martial arts movies ever made.

"Kung Fu Hustle" is in a league of its own. On paper, this movie shouldn't work, but it does, and it does so beautifully thanks to Chow's mad genius approach to filmmaking. It does require a bit of patience and takes some getting used to its frantic tonal shifts, but if you can manage that, you will have a fantastic good time.

SCORE: 8/10 (Without English Dub); 9/10 (With English Dub)