Skip to main content

A Review of “Kung Fu Hustle (2004)”

 

image

After rewatching the entire Ip Man series which had a grounded style of fighting, I’ve thought about a martial movie that was the opposite of that. I haven’t watched this movie in ages but I remember it for being the most ridiculous movie ever. I decided to rewatch “Kung Fu Hustle” and it is still as grand and ridiculous as ever.
When the hapless Sing (Stephen Chow) and his dim-witted pal, Bone (Feng Xiaogang), try to scam the residents of Pig Sty Alley into thinking they’re members of the dreaded Axe Gang, the real gangsters descend on this Shanghai slum to restore their fearsome reputation. What gang leader Brother Sum (Chan Kwok-Kwan) doesn’t know is that this neighbourhood doesn’t take kindly to interlopers.

image

Let’s start with what makes this movie stand out from other movies, the comedy. This movie has very dark humour, for example, the axe gang leader kills two people with a knife and shotgun and then the next scene goes to them all dancing to a cool score by Raymond Wong. You’re never really sure if you are meant to laugh or it is genuinely seriously but director Stephen Chow intertwine both together to create some weird humour but it just works.

Another part of the charm of the unique comedy is this movie is the surprisingly over the top slapstick, Looney tunes comedy. The director employs this by using very cartooney sound effects and having guys get hit around like toy ragdolls that result in some laugh out moments. There is a chase scene that feels like it is from Bugs Bunny. I don’t want to spoil any of the moments if you haven’t watched it but it’s as crazy as it sounds and it’s awesome.

image

This movie isn’t just all comedy though and has some amazing fight/action scenes.  The director uses a lot of wirework and surprisingly a lot of CGI which is quite unprecedented in a martial art or even a comedy movie but it is used very effectively. The fight scenes are well directed and edited but best of all incredibly exciting and thrilling to watch. Despite all the wirework and CGI, every fight is completely visible with no over edits or shaky cam and in 2004 that was quite rare in action movies.

image

The movie was undoubtedly inspired by many American movies such as The Matrix, Spiderman and even The Shining. The director incorporates these very blatant references in the movie to the point that it seems like it is copying but yet it feels unique due to how the director utilises it.

All the actors in this movie are great including the director, Stephen Chow, who plays the main lead. Every actor including supporting actors embody the ridiculous nature and manage to stand apart from each other that even in the short runtime of 98 minutes, the audience can grasp every single character’s personality and quirkiness in minutes. The set design is amazing as it represents the 1940’s Shanghai and feels vibrant and alive. The costumes are great as they feel believable and manage to capture the personality of some of the characters. The score by Raymond Wong is incredible and captures the nature of the movie with one of the stand out being the Axe Gang music which will make you want to dance with it.

image

If there had to be a flaw in the movie then it has to be the lack of a coherent plot. The synopsis is the basic premise for the beginning of the movie but a lot of other different plot points happen to intertwine with this about other characters and then there is this other new plot happening in the third act which makes it feel incoherent. Another flaw would be the lack or very rushed character development which is in part due to its short runtime. Characters can completely change in personality in a matter of minutes without any real build-up towards it.

Bill Murray described this movie as “the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy” and honestly that is a fair assessment. I feel like there will never be another movie like this ever. The movie blends kung fu, CGI and cartooney humour to create what I consider is one of the most hilarious movies ever made. If you haven’t watched it then I HIGHLY recommend you give this movie a watch!


 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A “QUICK!” Review of “Kandahar (2023)”

  This is a 2023 action movie about a US operative having to fight his way out of Afghanistan with his interpreter while being hunted. Wait isn’t that the same plot as Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant? It’s a little weird that this movie came out just a month after The Covenant with almost the same plot. The 3rd act and the ending is also VERY similar. The difference comes in execution and unfortunately, Kandahar isn’t as good. The first hour is incredibly slow as it setups the whole plot but it takes ages. The relationship between the main lead and the interpreter isn’t that strong. The message isn’t delivered in a very meaningful way. There is also not a lot of action set pieces even though there is a stellar night sequence in this one. It’s just another passable movie starring Gerald Butler.
Post a Comment
Read more

A Review of “Wicked: Part I (2024)”

  I am not the biggest fan of musicals and it is the one genre in movies I rarely watch. I knew of the popularity of the Broadway show “Wicked” but I never brought myself to ever watch it. Now, there is finally a movie adaptation of the show. I did enjoy the legendary 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” and a prequel about the Witch is an interesting idea hence why I gave it a shot. Does this movie defy gravity or is it wickedly bad? Firstly, the production of this film is phenomenal. The song and dance numbers are all incredibly choreographed. It is impressively visually seeing close to 100 people all dancing in unison. The songs and dance feel very flamboyant and campy but it works in the film. In terms of the actual songs, I liked a fair amount of them, especially “Defying Gravity” at the end. I also appreciate how this movie uses lots of actual practical set design. It makes the world of Oz feel more real and believable. There are some genuinely huge-looking sets in this...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Review of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)”

  I once said after watching Black Panther, that it would be cool if there was an all Asian cast similar to it. There were some all Asian cast movies like Crazy Rich Asian (2018), but that is a romcom, and Mulan (2020), but that was bad. In comes Shang Chi which is the first Asian lead Superhero movie ever. The premise is “Martial-arts master Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) confronts the past he thought he left behind when he’s drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization”. So does Shang Chi succeed in giving us a good all Asian cast big blockbuster or is it just another failed attempt? Firstly, the action sequences and choreography are some of the best from Marvel since Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2014). Martial arts are the focus of the action scenes in Shang Chi and they are beautifully choreographed. We get the classic wire-fu/floating style of Crouching Tiger but we also get some Jackie Chan style with the utilization of the environment for the a...
Post a Comment
Read more