Review of Kung Fu Hustle (2004) by Barry M — 12 Apr 2011
Hong Kong actor-director-writer-producer Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) is as adept with a dance as he is at kicking ass. He's like Jackie Chan with better comedy instincts. In the zany but hilariously awesome Kung Fu Hustle, Chow goes all out on the battles and effects but also sneaks in some welcome social satire.
Set in 1940's China, the film makes sure to illustrate how the poor are exploited in a little area called Pig Sty Alley. Chow is Sing, a wanna-be gangster willing to pick on people weaker than him to impress the Axe Gang, who are known to hack a guy to death and then doing a song and dance number, complete with top hats and tails.
Chow also finds time to spoof The Matrix films and expertly turn his characters into live-action cartoons. But he also manages to make it all resonate with characters that we actually care about. Sure, the plot tends to go into overdrive, but it's still amazingly fun.
This review of Kung Fu Hustle (2004) was written by Barry M on 12 Apr 2011.
Kung Fu Hustle has generally received very positive reviews.
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