Some people never grow up. Stephen Chow is one of those people. The star, director and co-writer of “Kung Fu Hustle” harbors such an outrageous imagination that it is almost impossible for one to believe that the 42-year-old isn’t 12. Then again, perhaps he still is.
“Kung Fu Hustle” is a class clown’s dream come true, an entertaining movie that combines intricate martial arts with slapstick comedy and an asinine story. It’s a film with no reason or purpose, other than to be fun. It’s world is about as realistic as a “Far Side” comic strip and about as logical. People have the ability to scream like banshees, run like cartoon characters, fight 40 men at once, harness the power of toads and when they fall down, have five different articles of clothing fly into the air. Not only is this film absurd. It is also refreshing.
“Kung Fu Hustle” is the story of Sing (Chow) a man who desperately wants to become a member of Shanghai’s top-hat wearing organized crime unit: the ax gang. The ax gang, who use axes as its main weapons, dress in what can be described as an Abraham Lincoln costumes without a beard.
They also dance. Yes, dance. Imagine James Cagney, as Cody Jarrett, dancing in “White Heat,” and you have the ax gang. Maniacs with moves.
The ax gang controls every aspect of the city with an iron fist, with one exception: the city’s ghetto. The ghetto, known as Pig Sty Alley, is controlled by Landlord (Wah Yuen), a horny drunkard, and his curler-wearing, cigarette-smoking, mean-spirited wife, Landlady (Qui Yuen).
Landlady is the real muscle of Pig Sty. When she isn’t kicking her husband’s ass for having lipstick on his face, she is threatening to burn down resident’s homes if they don’t pay their rent. This is a rather humorous proposition considering that Pig Sty Alley is just one big housing project, with homes and shops built on top of one another. It is also suicidal considering Landlady lives in the complex with all her residents.
It is in this complex where Sing inadvertently brings the wrath of the ax gang upon the poorest of Shanghai. Unbeknownst to Sing and the gang, and most residents of Pig Sty Alley, the slums are harboring some of China’s best martial arts masters. When the people of Pig Sty successfully humiliate the ax gang and Sing, the small community becomes the gang’s top target.
The gang begins to contract assassins to get rid of the Pig Sty threats. When even more Pig Sty residents prove to be amazing fighters, the gang enlists Sing to help them break China’s top killer out of jail. The Beast (Siu Lung Leung) – who is capable of catching bullets with two fingers from point blank range – unleashes his power on the protectors of Pig Sty Alley. It is then up to Sing to realize what he has done and help those in need.
The story, like most kung fu films, has many flaws. That, however, doesn’t matter. The film is about action and comedy. There are no true laugh-out-loud moments in “Kung Fu Hustle.” Instead there are long stretches of time when the audience is sitting in the theater enjoying the warm glow coming from the movie’s absurd happenings. That is not to say that the martial arts are not good. They are. They’re just often overshadowed by a ridiculous move or fighting style that certain characters use.
For instance, there’s the lion’s roar – a move where the fighter screams so loud that they create sound waves that knock enemies back. Moves such as these remind the viewer more of videogames then they do martial arts. They add humor to the action, and add to the film’s insanity. This is the film’s best asset. It’s total lack or restraint or care. If Chow thinks its funny he puts it in.
Chow has crafted a film that is destined to become a cult hit. It will most likely do for kung fu movies what the “Evil Dead” trilogy and “Shaun of the Dead” have done for horror films, and what “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” have done for musicals. “Kung Fu Hustle,” along with his other film “Shaolin Soccer,” have created a new category for martial arts movies, which rely on the sheer fun of the film more than stunts.
“Kung Fu Hustle” is refreshing for the simple fact that it is done with total disregard for whether or not the creator thinks the audience will like it. It combines so many elements of so many genres of movies, cartoons, videogames and novels, that it is almost like watching popular culture regurgitate on its self. However, the audience will leave feeling happy and about as mature as a middle schooler, which isn’t so bad.
