“Kung Fu Hustle” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Kung Fu Hustle” is a film whose title has nothing to do with the movie. It is more a gimmick to attract attention than anything else. What the movie is about is king fu fighting with a large dollop of comedy thrown in. That makes it unique and that makes it fun to watch.
The film starts off with an introduction to the “big axe gang.” They are the rulers of the community in which they live. The only people not intimidated by them are the residents of “pig sty street.” They are too poor to have to worry about any gangs. They are more worried about their landlady, a tyrannical woman who collects the rent and bullies her husband.
One day the axe gang does show up and terrorizes the residents, but then three of the people who live there emerge as true masters of king fu and vanquish the gang. The gang then gets a super master duo to attack the community. Again two super masters emerge and so forth and so on.
Director Stephen Chow makes movie magic with his use of special effects. People fly through the air and do other feats of daring. It is all larger than life and most of the violence is comic book style. Chow, in the manner of Jackie Chan, also stars in the film as one of the people in the story who is braver and more special than he thinks.
If the film were not so lightweight ands fanciful in its storyline it might have been a more renowned film. But with a storyline that is impossible to pin down, and characters who are weak one moment and strong the next, it is hard to take any of it seriously or to give it credit for being anything more than a passably enjoyable adventure.
The film is rated R for violence, profanity and partial nudity.
If you want to watch a movie that is a complete diversion for the troubles of your life then “Kung Fu Hustle” is the movie for you. Even the fact it is in Chinese with English subtitles isn’t that much of a distraction because the words are secondary in importance to the action.
Once again this is a movie that lets you check your brain at the door. It is all visual enjoyment and at that it succeeds.
I scored “Kung Fu Hustle” a Chinese checkered 5 out of 10.
