Directed by Stephen Chow
by Chris Worthington
Kung Fu Hustle is writer/director/lead actor Stephen Chow’s major release follow-up to Shaolin Soccer. For those of you who were unlucky enough to miss Shaolin Soccer, I suggest you track down a copy and check it out. In his first film, Chow began to set down his unique comedic take on the kung fu movie, and he has continued this in Kung Fu Hustle. In almost every aspect, Stephen Chow appears to have taken everything he used in Shaolin Soccer, improved upon it, and applied it to Kung Fu Hustle.
Chow appears to have a healthy love for genre crossing. In his first film, he took the simple concepts of the kung fu movie and the sports film (with a dash of the musical) and combined them to an enjoyably comical end. Kung Fu Hustle seems almost endlessly genre-referencing. There are dozens of references to classic kung fu movies and old gangster flicks, but this is only the beginning. Chow borrows inspiration from the comedic stylings of Buster Keaton and Saturday morning cartoons (which one could argue were also influenced by Mr. Keaton). He even goes so far as to make a handful of Matrix references. I am normally highly resistant to claims of Matrix reference (given how many references the film it self is already couched in). But, given a handful of camera shots and the use of that oh-so-distinctive horn flare, I think it’s there, though it only shows up as a couple of gags for the observant.
Naturally, however, this genre-mixing will almost certainly cause kung fu purists to be turned off by the film’s extreme silliness and heavy reliance on truly over-the-top CG. But, the fact that the film does not take itself too seriously adds an honesty to it, making the over-the-top kung fu masters’ skills easier to accept. And, the use of CG is surprisingly effective, adding just a touch of cartoonishness that always reminds the viewer, “This is not a serious action film.” So, for those of you for whom running up bamboo shoots is just a little too hard to swallow, Stephen Chow’s Bugs Bunny-esque escapades will allow you to appreciate the bauty of the art without getting too caught up in its defiance of physics. Of course, if a serious action film is what you are actually after, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
And finally, while acting is not usually what one is looking for when going to a kung fu movie, the acting in Kung Fu Hustle is nothing to complain about. Many of the actors from Shaolin Soccer appear in Kung Fu Hustle (watch for the Shaolin Soccer reference early in the film). In general, I’d give the acting in Kung Fu Hustle high marks, particularly considering that it is a martial arts comedy where badass martial skills and prat falls are often valued above acting. The characters in this film add something to it, rather than just facilitating it. Over all, Kung Fu Hustle is definitely worth your time; it’s an hour and thirty-five minutes you won’t regret. Check it out.
