Film Review: Kung Fu Hustle

Kung Fu Hustle

- From walking disaster to kung fu master


Directed by: Stephen Chow
Written by: Stephen Chow and Xin Huo
Released on the 23rd December, 2004
Starred in by: Stephen Chow, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu and Chan Kwok Kuen
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy

Set in Canton, China in the 1940s, the story revolves around a town ruled by the Axe Gang. The protagonist (of sorts), called Sing, desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who are actually kung-fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung-fu battle. Sing turns out to be a kung-fu natural himself, and in the end gets everything he had ever hoped for.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373074/

Originally I decided to watch Kung Fu Hustle because I had heard that it was a very funny Chinese film, and I wanted to both have a good time and practice my Chinese. I had no idea it would be the out-there, crazy adventure that it turned out to be! First of all I had to put on English subtitles, as I could not properly understand it all in Chinese. Then came the crazy plot; superhuman powers, impossible acts...it was full of everything that I do not associate with Chinese films. In my opinion it was a very Baz Luhrmann type film (like Moulin Rouge), rich in visual material, from crazy slow-motion scenes, to sped up running (like the cartoon type - legs going around in circles) and strong sounds. The plot was a bit poor, and kept jumping from story to story, so it wasn't entirely clear who the protagonist was until closer to the end, nor what the point of the film was.

The most interesting aspect of the film was definitely editing. The footage was very well put together, and had the right balance of close-ups interlaced with moving shots, even if it was all a little crazy. There were also some very interesting shots and ways of showing certain scenes. In a scene where someone gets punched in the face, rather than showing the punch, the screen gets punched and 'blood and flesh' are splattered onto the lens, which really gave me as a viewer the sense of being punched.

My favorite film happens to be Moulin Rouge, however that is more for the plot than the way that it is edited (although that adds to it too!). However despite the fact that Kung Fu Hustle was similar in style, and that it was very well done for the crazy type of film that it is, I'm not entirely sure how much I liked it. It is for sure that this is a one-off in Chinese cinema, and definitely a must-see for those who are tired of the average rom com/tear jerker/ superhero film!