It's the 1940s, and the notorious Axe Gang terrorizes Shanghai. Small-time criminals Sing and Bone hope to join, but they only manage to make lots of very dangerous enemies. Fortunately for them, kung fu masters and hidden strength can be found in unlikely places. Now they just have to take on the entire Axe Gang.
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Although the 3d effects are real bad, this feature shines in unconventional places. The characters are quirky and lovable (except for Stephen Chow's), the humor is enjoyable and some shots are surprisingly ambitious. A film with a lot of care put into it!
This action comedy from Hong Kong is set in the thirties and gangs, particularly the Axe Gang dominate. Usually such gangs ignore the poor as they have nothing worth stealing and no money to extort. That changes when two wannabe gangsters, Sing and his friend Bone, start trying to intimidate the poor inhabitants of Pig Sty Alley while claiming to be members of the Axe Gang. It is immediately obvious that they have picked on the wrong neighbourhood and they are chased off. Soon the real Axe Gang turn up hoping repair damage to their reputation; they don't know there are many old martial arts masters living there and they too are beaten. After that they bring in assassins; including The Beast; reportedly the most dangerous man in the world! By now Sing is with the gang but will he remain with them or will he become the protector of the helpless he dreamt of being as a child?If you like your kung fu action to feel at least a little bit realistic you might be disappointed but if you want a good laugh and really over-the-top action then this film is a delight. The action is a mix of standard, 'slightly exaggerated' martial arts, kung fu that is more like a superpower and a ridiculously sped up chase. The characters are a lot of fun; most notably the landlady and her husband, Sing and The Beast. The cast does a solid job; the situations may be comic and the characters over the top but they are played straighter than one might expect. Most of the comedy worked for me, although I must admit the speeded up chase was a little too silly for my taste. There are also quite a few references to other films such as 'The Shining' and 'The Matrix'. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody who likes good slapstick comedy combined with exciting martial arts action.
This film IS all over the place, but even if you are just a film buff with no interest in Kung Fu films, this is worth a watch. With tons of references and homages to other movies, from Fred and Ginger to Bruce Lee, and from The Shining to The Matrix, it's kind of fun just to look for them.It has both comedy and serious elements, but you have to look fast for them, because this movie is fairly relentless with the action. This has a huge budget for a Chinese Kung Fu film too, and you can see right where it goes because there is CGI mayhem aplenty. And that leads to the only group of filmgoers who will not enjoy Kung Fu Hustle at all; those who do not like action films. This is not a real talky film, and seems to let the action do most of the talking for it. You might not like it, but it never gives you much of a chance to get bored.
Kung Fu Hustle (2004): Dir: Stephen Chow / Cast: Stephen Chow, Danny Chan, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Bruce Leung: Absolutely hilarious martial arts comedy written, directed and starring Stephen Chow. The Axe Gang is the most feared gang in the country and they take aim at the peaceful Pig Sty Alley but are surprised when their peaceful target is skilled in martial arts. Amusing setup travels from one fight scene to the next with a rather merciful conclusion. What really shines are the exquisite visual elements and the humour propelled by the cast. Chow plays Sing who wishes to join the Axe Gang but he is ordered to commit a murder to do so. He reflects upon younger days when standing up for a young girl resulted in his ass getting kicked. He is a wimp with a good heart and Chow plays him to perfect comic pitch. Other characters include the Beast who looks nothing like one. Danny Chan plays the ruthless Axe Gang leader who tests Chow and eventually misuses his control to dire consequences. A landlady, played by Yuen Qiu possesses the "lion's roar" and becomes a force to be reckoned with. Yuen Wah plays the landlady's drunken husband with powers of his own. Bruce Leung plays the Beast whose transformation is both nasty and funny. Great mix of martial arts and humour that takes jabs at martial arts films that destroys the law of gravity. Score: 9 / 10
