Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

There is no score high enough for this... except Stephen Chow is a Kung Fu Director/Writer/Producer GENIUS! Mr. Chow does for movies what Jimi Hendrix did for guitars... My guess is that all Hollywood directors are saying "you can do that?!?"

...just thought of this...

Hollywood Director: "you can do that?!?"

Mr. Stephen Chow: "you want to learn?"

Hollywood Director (bowing): "... yes, Master."

After this movie the history of movies will have 2 time periods: pre-Mr. Chow and post-Mr. Chow.

20 out of 10.

-Zafoid

Fmovies: I liked Shaolin Soccer, it was full of laughs and Stephen Chow has done it again with Kung Fu Hustle. It's not in the same vein as Shaolin Soccer and it is not a belly full of laughs, but it certainly emphasised his love of action movies especially Martial Art movies. The film pays homage to all those Hong Kong Martial Arts Serials, Bruce Lee and the action genre in general. I would even say that Kung Fu Hustle is a more refined Shoalin Soccer in terms of storyline, action sequences and acting.

The setting is great with some nice scenes of old Hong Kong and the way people used to live. The fight scenes were pretty good, especially at the start with the three masters fighting the Axe Gang. Okay, the story was predictable but that didn't take away the enjoyment one bit.

Overall, it is a highly recommended movie to watch and I can't wait for his next film.

In the wildly imaginative and action-packed Kung Fu Hustle, petty thief Sing (Stephen Chow) aspires to be a ruthless gangster. Stumbling across a gang-controlled apartment to extort money from the locals who are actually kung fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions attracts the notorious Axe Gang, and set off a relentless chain of events that brings the clans together in an explosive battle.

From kung fu showdowns to dance sequences featuring tuxedoed mobsters, you've never seen martial arts action this outrageous! With jaw-dropping fight sequences by Yeun Wo Ping (famed action choreographer of Kill Bill Vol.1 & 2 and The Matrix) Kung Fu Hustle will blow you away! Chow's movie is set in 1940s Guangdong Province, China. Chow plays Ah-xing, a street rascal who fools around constantly. He is good at talking glibly, but at the core he is feeble-minded and stuck in poverty with an unknown future. So, it doesn't look good for A-xing at the beginning of the movie.

It doesn't get any better, either a little later as we discover it is A-xing's goal is to become a member of the notorious Axe Gang, the fiercest, cruelest and most widespread gang of the city.

One day when A-xing goes into a slum, Pig Cage Town, to do his usual extortion, he witnesses a real clash between two gangs: the Axe Gang is clearing out a local gang that has not shown allegiance to the Axe. A-xing realizes the slum residents -- including the plump landlady and her skinny and wimpy-looking husband -- have each turned into kung-fu masters to fight against the large group of gangs.

A-xing then realizes this is a battle between good and evil and that he is called to choose one side.

Stephen Chow continues his unique comedy style, twisting the slapstick jokes and reinterpreting them with his composed face. In Kung Fu Hustle, Chow intensifies the self-torture sequences and creates more funny points in his suffering. For example, when Chow shows his characters practising kung-fu while faced by a middle-aged woman in the slum, he is quickly kicked in the groin. He is also stabbed by three flying daggers which were supposedly aimed at his enemy and is later bitten in the face by two poisonous snakes. Through all these trials he manages to survive for another day.

Apart from creativity, Kung Fu Hustle has also demonstrated a higher quality comedy than his early 1990s works such as Fight Back to School (1991) and King of Beggars (1992). The cinematography is more sophisticated, with an authentic 1930s aura. And like Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle heavily adopts computer graphics to present special effects such as the snake, daggers and flying axes.

Kung Fu Hustle fmovies. In general, it's a movie which puts tribute to all the Kung Fu Movie.

Some argue that Stephen uses a lots of old jokes and routines in this movie that makes it a little bit weak on the script. However, I think it's one of his best. He doesn't make as many dirty jokes as usual, but you can really learn his philosophy through this two-hours movie and have a very good laugh at the same time. If you really watch the movie carefully, you will know what kung-fu is. Stephen Chow truly understands kung-fu, in my opinion, and it a sure thing that he crazies about it.

It's not a common kung-fu movie like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "Hero". Stephen Chow uses his own way to express kung-fu. I sincerely recommend this movie to those who still has the slightest hesitation whether you should watch this movie or not.Just Go!!!!!!!!!! You won't regret it!!!!

I saw this movie at the Toronto filmfest and I have to say I loved it, I really didn't know what to expect as I didn't know the director and had only really seen some pretty bad kung fu many years before. There are many pop culture references in there like reservoir dogs and the matrix.. all done very tongue in cheek.

The fight sequences are very well done and keep the movie moving at a frenetic pace, the jokes tend to be visual in nature and as such side step the normal translation problems.

All in all I thought this was a great movie and suspect this will be a huge hit !

Before we went to see this movie we had heard about many good reviews of it. After spending approximate 100mins in the movie theater we were extremely satisfied and entertained. This movie is even better than we have expected. There were full of laughters almost from the beginning to the end in the theater.

Stephen Chow displays his talent as both a director and an actor. It maintains the previous Chow's style and humor as in other movies, such as "Xi Ju Zhi Wang" and "Xing Yun Yi Tiao Long", while those CGIs were not expected. In Chow's movie, what the Chinese people like is that it says no to super heroes. It just tells the stories of ordinary people, particularly those people leading insignificant and unsuccessful lives.

Several characters in this movie were played by popular Kung-Fu stars, in the 1980's - 1990's in China. Stephen Chow shows respects to them, as the way he respects Bruce Lee.

Above all, Kung-Fu Hustle is a movie with great hilarity, stunning CGI effects, fantastic Kung-Fu, and the lives of ordinary people. I give it 9 out of 10. Highly recommended!

Now this movie is in theaters in Europe and North America. The recent comments have shown a good sign already.Best wishes to Stephen Chow! Hope western people like this movie as well.