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"Kung Fu Hustle" is the latest movie from Stephen Chow, who also brought us that crazy little movie, "Shaolin Soccer." While I did enjoy the zany comedy of "Shaolin Soccer," I must say that "Kung Fu Hustle" is even funnier, and an over-all better movie. It's been a long time since I've laughed so much at a movie that was supposed to be funny.
It's hard to describe this movie - it's kind of like a kung fu movie mixed with a gangster movie mixed with a classic Looney Tunes cartoon. On top of that, there are sight gags based on and elements ripped from numerous popular movies, including "The Shining" and "Lord of the Rings." Oh, and it's one of those fantasy kung fu movies where people can fly through the air and do other physically impossible things.
Still with me? OK!
This movie is just plain ridiculous - you have to go into the theatre ready to suspend your disbelief and LAUGH. You will see people run like cartoon characters. You will see faces squish like rubber when they get punched. You will see all manner of unlikely people kick serious ass all across the screen.
My favorite part of this movie was the killer bards. Two blind men with a koto just trashing everyone and everything. Not only is it conceptually cool, but the graphics for this scene are awesome (as are the graphics throughout the film). As someone who plays lots of bards in various gaming systems, I loved seeing some deadly musicians on screen.
"Kung Fu Hustle" certainly has its flaws, although at this point I really can't remember most of them. The parts of the movie that fall flat are quickly forgotten as the story moves along to better scenes. The pacing is quick, the story takes some unexpected turns, and the action is non-stop.
I would like to point out that this movie is rated "R". While the violence is not bloody or otherwise graphic, it is plentiful. This is not a movie for kids! There was a family behind us at the theatre when we saw it, with at least one little kid. The kid was thankfully quiet throughout the movie . . . but in one scene she said "His head came off". If your kid is not old enough to use the word "decapitation" and know what it means, they are not old enough to watch "Kung Fu Hustle."
At the time I'm writing this, Kung Fu Hustle is rated as 5th in the box office by the IMDb. I can only hope that this, on top of the success of such movies as "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" will mean we'll see more Chinese action movies on more screens in more cities, and that less movies will be as hard to find as "Ong Bak" was.
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