Review of Kung Fu Dunk (2008) by Raymond C — 11 Feb 2008

This dramedy stars hip hop sensation Jay Chou in his third acting debut to date where he plays an orphan abondoned at a martial arts school, and was later expelled and recruited by Eric Tsang's character who groomed him to be a basketball prodigy.

This light-hearted fare suffers from a thin plot and pacing irregularities. There is not much to say for the characters of the younger stars as they are neither memorable nor consequential. The saving grace of this film lies in the tribute to the veteran comedians who manage to uplift the stale material.

Jay Chou tries very hard to exude charm and be amusing but the way he delivers his lines cause the jokes to fall flat and fail miserably. He ends up being more vexingly irritating than jecose. However, his co-star Eric Tsang succeeds in endearing himself to the audience through his heart-felt and emotional portrayal of a washed-up agent who begins out with intentions not quite altruistic but ends up being more of a father to Jay's character than his biological parent.

The tangible and poignant father-son relationship is the soul of this film, and could only have been realised by the acting prowess of Eric Tsang.