Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Review: Film: Kung Fu Hustle
Technorati Tags: Movies Movie Review Kung Fu Hustle Stephen Chow Hong Kong Martial Arts Comedy Action
Kung Fu Hustle is from the same person, Stephen Chow, behind Shaolin Soccer. You all remember Shaolin Soccer, right? Oh right, it was cut to pieces by its American distributor and then never widely released in the USA (if it was released at all on the screen).
Shaolin Soccer was about this ex-soccer player (football to all you non-US Americans) that was very good, missed a goal, and was brutally beaten by a mob. That ex-player became a flunky to one of his former soccer teammates, until he leaves and eventually forms a soccer team with some bums he finds in the streets (not all bums). The team ends up entering a competition and the final game is against Team Evil, the team owned by that former teammate. There is something of a coherent plot in Shaolin Soccer (as long as you watch the uncut verison). Kung Fu Hustle is a lot more disjointed.
Kung Fu Hustle is filled with many actors, so much so that it becomes hard to tell which actor, or set of actors we should care about. Hustle is about crime-filled 1920s or 1930s Shanghai, where gangs run rampant, except in the poorest areas. One gang has, apparently, come to dominate most of Shanghai. That gang is the "Axe Head Gang" (or something like that). The movie opens with that gang "fighting" the head of a rival gang. The leader of the Axe gang likes dancing around during fights and afterwards.
Later, two con men visit one of those poor areas, Pig Sty Alley (I believe that is the name of the alley). They claim to be members of the Axe gang and demand money, but are disbelieved by the poor citizens of this alley (actually somewhat humorous scene where chief con man, Stephen Chow, keeps picking people out of the audience to fight, only to find out that he keeps choosing some tough looking people). Eventually the real Axe gang turns up, some Kung Fu masters spring up out of the poor mass of the Alley and . . . don't want to give everything away.
The movie can be surprisingly funny at times, but is a lot more violent and bloody than you might expect from a "comedy." I would probably give this film 4.22 stars out of 5.
The main actors are: Hisao Liang (leader of the Axe Gang); Stephen Chow (Sing); Wah Yuen (Landlord); Qiu Yuen (Landlady); Xing Yu (coolie; more of a supporting part); Siu Lung Leung (The Beast); Dong Zhi Hua (Donut); Kwok Kuen Chan (Brother Sum); Chiu Chi Ling (Tailor) and etc.
Kung Fu Hustle is from the same person, Stephen Chow, behind Shaolin Soccer. You all remember Shaolin Soccer, right? Oh right, it was cut to pieces by its American distributor and then never widely released in the USA (if it was released at all on the screen).
Shaolin Soccer was about this ex-soccer player (football to all you non-US Americans) that was very good, missed a goal, and was brutally beaten by a mob. That ex-player became a flunky to one of his former soccer teammates, until he leaves and eventually forms a soccer team with some bums he finds in the streets (not all bums). The team ends up entering a competition and the final game is against Team Evil, the team owned by that former teammate. There is something of a coherent plot in Shaolin Soccer (as long as you watch the uncut verison). Kung Fu Hustle is a lot more disjointed.
Kung Fu Hustle is filled with many actors, so much so that it becomes hard to tell which actor, or set of actors we should care about. Hustle is about crime-filled 1920s or 1930s Shanghai, where gangs run rampant, except in the poorest areas. One gang has, apparently, come to dominate most of Shanghai. That gang is the "Axe Head Gang" (or something like that). The movie opens with that gang "fighting" the head of a rival gang. The leader of the Axe gang likes dancing around during fights and afterwards.
Later, two con men visit one of those poor areas, Pig Sty Alley (I believe that is the name of the alley). They claim to be members of the Axe gang and demand money, but are disbelieved by the poor citizens of this alley (actually somewhat humorous scene where chief con man, Stephen Chow, keeps picking people out of the audience to fight, only to find out that he keeps choosing some tough looking people). Eventually the real Axe gang turns up, some Kung Fu masters spring up out of the poor mass of the Alley and . . . don't want to give everything away.
The movie can be surprisingly funny at times, but is a lot more violent and bloody than you might expect from a "comedy." I would probably give this film 4.22 stars out of 5.
The main actors are: Hisao Liang (leader of the Axe Gang); Stephen Chow (Sing); Wah Yuen (Landlord); Qiu Yuen (Landlady); Xing Yu (coolie; more of a supporting part); Siu Lung Leung (The Beast); Dong Zhi Hua (Donut); Kwok Kuen Chan (Brother Sum); Chiu Chi Ling (Tailor) and etc.
