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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 60.23%
Worth A Look: 34.09%
Average: 2.84%
Pretty Bad: 2.27%
Total Crap: 0.57%
14 reviews, 92 user ratings
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| Kung Fu Hustle |
by U.J. Lessing
"Pure Comedic Bliss"
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It’s hard to describe the frenetic energy of Stephen Chow’s films, and Kung Fu Hustle is no exception. The fights are furious and insane. The humor is often stupid and crude but always funny, and the pacing is erratic like a bumper car: the movie speeds up, slams to a stop and tears away again at breakneck speed.Very rarely does a chaotic mood work for a movie, but Kung Fu Hustle succeeds with ease. Chow manages to cultivate maddening storylines with both brains and muscle, and after viewing tons of careful and methodical action-films (take anything directed by Michael Bay as an example) its so refreshing to see a movie willing to be spontaneous and uninhibited.
The film’s background is a dark city that is more firmly rooted in Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy than any past Kung Fu films. The opening scenes show the city’s violent takeover by ‘The Ax Gang,’a well-dressed and brutal group of gangsters that dress, move and fight in stylish synchronization. Their leader, (Hsiao Liang) is voguish, ruthless and has total control over every part of the city.
All, that is, except Pigsty Alley.
Pigsty Alley is a square of apartment buildings reserved for the ugly, destitute and mentally inept, all under the care of a mercilessly loud and demanding landlady (Qiu Yuen.) Pigsty Alley is a delightful mix of the downtrodden and the optimistic, reminiscent of both Robert Altman’s Sweet Haven from Popeye and Jean Renoir’s slums in The The Lower Depths.
These worlds peacefully coexist until a pathetic conman (Stephen Chow) and his chubby sidekick (Chi Chung Lam) wander into Pigsty Alley disguised as ‘Ax Gang’ members in an attempt to swindle the residents. Their actions trigger a turf war that brings many powerful (and magical) fighters out of the woodwork. The ensuing battles are back-to-back, original and satisfying.
Kung Fu Hustle is augmented with outlandish CGI effects. The hazard of using computer-generated special effects is that the results are so carefully planned that the meticulousness interferers with the natural pace of the movie, but in Kung Fu Hustle, the effects are giddy, breathtaking, and just plain fun.
Every promotional item I’ve seen for Kung Fu Hustle carries the Roger Ebert quote, "Imagine a film in which Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny.” While listing a number of entertainers that would make any film nerd salivate is a nice way to promote a deserving film, Ebert’s statement is inaccurate. Tarrentino, Keaton, Chan and Bugs may celebrate chaos, but the focus is on characters that manipulate and ultimately dominate their environments.If a comparison can be made, I would liken Kung Fu Hustle to Fatty Arbuckle’s silent films and Bob Clampett’s Daffy Duck shorts. Chow joins the ranks of these masters of the ludicrous by creating blissful absurdity and letting it plow through his characters like a tornado. We don’t enjoy them getting blown away, but we just love watching them enjoying the ride.
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=10619&reviewer=396
originally posted: 04/08/05 22:23:56
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2004 Toronto Film Festival. For more in the 2004 Toronto Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2005 Sundance Film Festival. For more in the 2005 Sundance Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. For more in the 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2005 SXSW Film Festival. For more in the 2005 South By Southwest Film Festival series, click here.
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USA
08-Apr-2005 (R)
DVD: 09-Aug-2005
UK
N/A
Australia
11-Aug-2005
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