Customer Reviews

Kung fu

5 star:		(211)
4 star:		(70)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Kung Fu Hustle is among my favorite films, not because I am a die-hard fan of Stephen Chow, but because I really liked the wild mix of comedy, adventure, crime caper and martial arts action. Most notably the excellent fight choreography by legendary Yuen Woo-Ping(who is also responsible for the fight scenes of Kill Bill vol. 1, Fearless, The Matrix, Hero). As I said, I love KUNG FU HUSTLE and am very much looking forward for its sequel in 2008, so forgive me if I am a bit biased. (I will try my best not to lose my objectivity)

The New "AXE KICKING EDITION" soon to be released by Sony is actually the REGION-3 Hong Kong release which I have. (I am certain)The Hong Kong release is still the one to go for if you have a multi-region dvd player. Since I almost know for certain that only fans of the film will be interested in this new edition, I will skip the plot summary. ( for those of you who haven't seen it, you may look up my review under the original U.S. DVD.)

I will go straight to the differences between the previous dvd release and this new "Axe-kicking edition"(original Hong Kong release):
Mild spoilers ahead---
Scene 1; The landlady throws her husband out of a window and drops a flower pot that ended up on the back of his head. The original cut showed a small pool of blood coming from his face, but the U.S. version digitally omitted it. The blood now appears as part of the film.
Scene 2; Sing heckles/insults the residents of Pig Sty Alley and gets hit in the tummy by a woman. The original cut showed Sing spitting up blood which landed on the woman's face, but the earlier U.S. version digitally removed the blood (though some still appeared around Sing's mouth). The blood now appears in this release.
Scene 3; This may be more offensive to others; it takes place on the eve of the big attack on Pig Sty Alley. The Hong Kong cut showed a man taking a d--p onto a piece of paper as the camera panned by, but the American version digitally removed the offensive feces. Now the paper is no longer blank. "Mr. Poo" makes an appearance!
Scene 4; Sing confronts "The Beast" in the casino, he gets hit hard on the chest twice. After the 2nd hit, blood sprays on The Beast's face and Sing is shown reeling backwards from the force of the punch with blood spurting from his mouth. The U.S. version PREVIOUSLY removed both of these sequential shots.
Scene 5; Also in the casino, Sing's head is hit on his face, hammered into the ground by The Beast. After the first hit, The Beast's bloody fist is shown emerging from the floor in slow motion...but the U.S. version removed this shot entirely.
Now for the DVD Picture and Sound quality--
2.35 Anamorphic Widescreen. The Picture is extremely sharp with solid Black levels. Colors are natural and enhancements are not noticeable. CGI effects suffer a bit of softness. But the transfer is clean and nice. It is the Hong Kong transfer from what I can tell.
Sound is in 5.1 Dolby/2.0 surround in English, French & Cantonese. I am a bit disappointed why Sony still didn't include the Cantonese 5.1 DTS track as in the original Hong Kong release. Why?!
EXTRAS: Stephen Chow interview--Bloopers/outtakes--Featurettes: w/ Yuen Woo-Ping, Oliver Wong(Production designer), Shirley Wong(Costumes)
Storyboard comparison--trailers--audio commentary
CLOSING: Kung Fu Hustle is one of the more entertaining (if not the most fun in 2004) imports. It mixes pop culture blends, over-the-top comedy, hard-hitting action while maintaining a profound respect for the spirit of Kung Fu. This new region 1 release is a bit confusing, while it contains the original cut of the film, it misses the original special features and the powerful DTS Cantonese Language track. I wouldn't advise a "double dip" for fans who own the first REGION 1 dvd, but for fans who doesn't own the movie, pick this new version up. However, the lack of DTS sound is a huge minus for this version. I STILL prefer the ORIGINAL Hong Kong region-3 release!
RECOMMENDED!! (Timidly)

Stephen Chow's follow-up to 'Shaolin Soccer' (which was virtually killed in US market) is totally different from 'Shaolin.' 'Kung-hu' is a comedy, sure it is, but the star/director Chow takes this martial arts very seriously, and the film itself gives more emphasis upon martial arts actions (including silly ones) than the parodies or sight gags. And look, the film is credited with TWO choreographers -- Sammo Hung and Yuen Wo Ping!

[THE STORY] is set in pre-Revolutiona China. The city is ruled by ruthless mobsters 'Axe Gang,' and now remember, they are really ruthless. Even though they dance like 'Cotton Club'-Meets-'Gangs of New York' style. And of course, they wield axes while dancing in the street.

Then our hero Sing (Chow) enters. He wants to join in the 'Axe Gangs,' and to prove his 'ability' as gangster (whatever it is), he tries to extort money from the locals living in the 'Pig Sty Alley.' What he didn't know was, the people are much, much more strong and resourceful than he expected.

The plot may sound rather pointless, and in fact it is. In short, it is about two wannabe gangsters, and the fights between gangsters and the residents of the 'Alley.' You see several references to other films, but the film's greatest merit is not them. It is kung-hu action.

[ACTIONS] For Stephen Chow shows unexpectedly exciting fight sequences between the unique characters -- assassins who use musical instruments like invisible swords (and this scene is very violent), the tailor and cook who fight like devil, the Landlord and Landlady, and The Beast ... yes, he fight like a beast, or a toad (literally).

[THE STAR] Stephen Chow as hero Sing displays considerable martial arts skills, especially in the finaly act which goes like the climax of 'Matrix Revolutions' -- and Chow is better than Keanu! -- but it is the extraordinary supporting actors that really are rivetting. The hen-pecked landlord by Yuen Wah (known as 'magnificient villain' in Hong Kong films) and his chain-smoking wife landlady by Yuen Qiu (coming back to screen after almost 30 years) are real scene stealer, always surprising us with their outrageous personalities. And wait for 'The Beast' by Leung Siu Lung (himself a major Kung-hu star during the 70s, and comes back to movie after 15 year hietus) whose initial appearance as a bald and plump middle-aged is very deceptive. And look for Yeun Cheung-Yan (as a suspicious-looking seller of 'kung-hu manuals'), brother to Yuen Woo Ping and action choreographer of 'Charlie's Angles.'

The film may not as funny (and silly) as 'Shaolin Soccer' and if so, that's because Stephen Chow really respects the art of kung-hu and its masters. It is still a comedy, and it is often funny, but perhaps you should see it as an action film -- with ridiculously exaggerated fight styles based on the traditional kung-hu. So, my advice: Don't think, just feel, and enjoy yourself.

I didn't know what to expect when I went to see "Kung Fu Hustle" in theaters but I'm a big fan of Chinese foreign films and needless to say it exceeded all expectations. It's a mobster movie like you've never seen before set around the 1930s. The Axe Gang wear nice, fancy black suits, and after killing some apparent foes in the beginning of the movie the credits show flashes of the "tough" gangsters doing a strange sort of dance in unison I couldn't help but chuckle at with unparalleled delight. At that point I knew this was going to be an interesting film and I was absolutely right. Legends with inhuman powers arise from the unlikeliest of people, crushing the Axe Gang's superiority and pride of being the "bad-asses" you should fear for your life from. They in turn hire countless assassins to wipe out an entire village but their attempts prove futile as the population contains more than just weak farmers and housekeepers... I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of "Kung Fu Hustle" (think Looney Toons meets Kill Bill) and recommend it to anyone who looks for odd, quirky movies that are also smart and creative, yet totally out there. The subtitles didn't even bother me as I find that most films in Chinese sound much better in the original language verses being horribly dubbed in English (ie-House Of Flying Daggers).

Kung Fu Hustle on Blu-ray looks/sounds excellent. I already own the DVD version of Kung Fu Hustle, but watching Kung Fu Hustle on Blu-ray is a vast improvement. With its vibrant colors and incredible sound, Kung Fu Hustle is definitly one of the better Blu-ray releases I have seen so far.

Just like the DVD, the Blu-ray version is also loaded with extras:
-commentary with Stephen Chow, Lam Tze Chung, Tin Kai Man, and Chan Kwok Kwun
-42 minute behind-the-scenes featurette (in Chinese with English subtitles)
-2 deleted scenes
-30 minute candid Ric Meyers interview with Stephen Chow (in English)
-5 minutes of outtakes
-trailers for Resident Evil 2, Underworld 2, and xXx

I am a devoted and long time fan of Hong Kong action movies and pleased to report that Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle is the best of the hundreds I have seen since the early 1970's. Chow's film is at once a loving tribute to and canny summary of the past 35 years of Chinese martial art cinema. KFH is also hysterically funny and the one kung fu DVD I'd gladly show to someone who was not a fan of the genre. The film is beautifully shot and cleverly scripted. It contains old school fight choreography along with marvelous wire-work stunts and up-to-the-minute CGI effects. The cast, mostly unknowns or lesser players in Chinese cinema, is a pure joy and includes several bona fide kung fu masters in key roles. There is really nothing in Chow's previous films that would hint he is capable of creating such a wonderful entertainment. If you didn't see this one in the theaters, stop reading and buy this DVD now.

Note 1: Despite the R rating, I'd be willing to show this gem to pre-teens. With the exception of the first few minutes, the violence is either wildly cartoonish or standard action film fare.

Note 2: As with almost all foreign language films, I recommend watching it in its original language with English subtitles even if an English language track is available. Dubbing is just too damned distracting and can ruin a good movie like this one.

Fresh from the worldwide triumph of Shaolin Soccer, Stephen Chow surpassed its critical and commercial success with Kung Fu Hustle. He took the winning formula he perfected with his previous film and elevated it to a more ambitious scale. He also wisely decided to have Sony distribute his movie in North America instead of Miramax who notoriously bungled the release of Soccer. The results were a modest success because, unlike Miramax, Sony knew how to market Chow's movie.

As he did with Shaolin Soccer, Chow uses CGI in very clever ways to express his ideas visually. The action sequences play out like live action Looney Tunes cartoons as he playfully pokes fun at over-the-top, pretentious action spectacles like The Matrix: Reloaded. Kung Fu Hustle is bursting at the seams with one hilarious visual gag after another. In one scene, Sing is chased by a grumpy, bossy peasant woman and they chase each other through the countryside like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Chow understands that the enjoyment in watching his movies is reveling in the visual spectacle of them. His movie has the visual inventiveness of ten movies.

Kung Fu Hustle is a movie about other movies. It playfully quotes from such diverse movies as Spider-Man and The Untouchables. One of the pleasures of watching this movie is to see what film it references next. Meanwhile, Kung Fu Hustle continues to top itself with one breathtaking action sequence after another, each one building up to the penultimate showdown. Chow's movie is so eager to please, such an unabashed celebration of movies that it makes the ones that come out of Hollywood every year look boring and outdated in comparison.

There is an audio commentary by Stephen Chow, actor Lam Tze Chung, Axe Gang advisor Tin Kai Man and actor Chan Kwok Kwan. If you're reading the subtitles of this track it is near impossible to figure out who's talking and so you just have to go along with it in the hopes that some relevant information will appear on screen. They go into detail about the filmmaking process in this informative and engaging track.

"TV Special - Behind the Scene of Kung Fu Hustle" is a 42 minute look at how this movie came together hosted by two of the film's stars. This is an entertaining and well-made featurette that is a step up from the usual fare that populates DVDs.

There are two deleted scenes that feature the residents of Pig Sty Alley trying to convince the two kung fu masters to save them and more footage of Sing's initiation into the Axe Gang.

"Ric Meyers Interview with Stephen Chow" is a nice conversation between the two men. He talks about some of the cinematic influences on this movie as he comes across as a very smart and articulate fellow.

Also included is an "Outtakes and Bloopers" reel that is a very funny collection of blown lines.

There is also an impressive collection of 15 TV spots!

Finally, there is an "International Poster Exploration Gallery" that features all sorts of different designs adopting various styles and colour schemes.

On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Stephen Chow's "Kung-Fu Hustle" -- "It's a martial arts comedy," he said. He may have committed the worst case of under-selling a product I've ever come across.

"Kung-Fu Hustle" contains the most surprising, you'll-never-see-this-coming humor I've seen in a movie since I saw Steve Buscemi's leg (with sock) meeting its destiny in a woodchipper in the Coen brothers' "Fargo." I will be brief, so as not to spoil any of the surprises for you, but without giving too much away, you will see subtle and not-so-subtle references to such moments as Sean Connery's death scene in "The Untouchables," the "hallway of blood" from "The Shining," the fight scenes from "The Matrix," and the Roadrunner versus Wile E. Coyote.

Some movies, such as Stanley Tucci's "Big Night," just make you smile with their tone and general warmth. I never thought I'd say that about a martial arts film, but from the moment the Axe Gang shows up in "Reservoir Dogs" apparel, kills a few gangsters, and then dances some fantastic mish-mash step/line dancing, I was enthralled with "Kung Fu Hustle." Also, who can't love a movie mainly set in "Pig Sty Alley," ruled by the Landlady, a witty spoof of all "dragon lady" stereotypes.

Avoid all reviews and spoilers for this movie -- while I expect "Kung Fu Hustle" will hold up on repeated viewings, I will never again be as surprised or thrilled as I was the first time I saw it. A wonderful addition to the film library.

Let's face it: there is an irreducible silly element to many kung fu movies. What Stephen Chow has managed to do in both SHAOLIN SOCCER and KUNG FU HUSTLE is take the silliness and raise it to the nth degree, creating some of the most marvelous parodies that I have ever seen. What is amazing is that while he expertly picks out the more absurd elements of those films, his own films, though comedies are in fact far less silly than those films that intend to be far more serious. A fruitful comparison is some American comedic parodies, such as JANE AUSTEN'S MAFIA, which never rises above silliness. The comedy here in KUNG FU HUSTLE is broad, but it is never simply dumb.

The story concerns the conflict between the Axe Gang in Shanghai and the residents of Pig Sty Alley. The time is supposedly the forties before the Revolution, but it seems oddly ahistorical, a Shanghai that never really existed. World War II seems never to have occurred or left a mark on the place and there is no hint of the Communist uprising that had been taking place since the thirties. Still, the film has a believable period feel despite this. A petty thief named Sing (played by the film's writer and director Stephen Chow) pretends to be a member of the Axe Gang and attempts to bully some residents of the slum. This inadvertently pulls in the real Axe Gang, which descends on the community only to be turned back by three of the residents who turn out to be kung fun masters incognito. The rest of the film consists of escalations in kung fun mastery as the Axe Gang brings in their own kung fu masters, until the end when one individual proves to be the greatest kung fun master of all. This would all be insufferably dull except that every twist and turn is handled expertly by Chow.

It should be noted that the two most elaborate fight scenes were directed by the great Sammo Hung, the legendary Hong Kong star and director perhaps best known in the United States for his highly underrated television series MARTIAL LAW.

I think this film will appeal both to fans of Hong Kong cinema and to fans of the more surreal shaolin films. Whether it will appeal to a wider audience I am unable to say, but I would urge those with even slightly open minds to give this a try. If you enjoyed CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON or HERO, you would probably enjoy this highly accomplished parody.

Shanghai, China, the 1930s. The Axe Gang is taking over the town but is not interested in the poor slums. This leaves the residents of Pig Sty Alley to deal with their overbearing Landlady. One day, Sing (Stephen Chow) and his sidekick, walk into the Alley and attempt to blackmail people there. When the residents of the tenement stand up to fight him, he reveals that he is part of the Axe Gang and signals for help. Gang members show up and the landlady and the tenement residents fight them off. The Axe Gang realizes that they have been called to help someone who is not a part of the gang, but Sing is desperate to become a member. Now that the gang and the residents of Pig Sty Alley have met, they can't back down from each other, fighting until one group is victorious. The leader of the Axe Gang realizes that he will not be able to fight them alone and brings in The Beast.

"Kung Fu Hustle", written and directed by the star, Stephen Chow, is a fun, exhilarating, fast-paced film, borrowing elements from and paying homage to many other genres. Chow is clearly a filmmaker who loves films; he seems like a kid in a candy store. Now that he can make a film, how many different types of things can he get into the story? "Hustle" combines all of these elements in a way that is fresh and exciting.

The opening sequence is a homage to police interrogation films and westerns. When the opposing sides face off on a dusty road, we are transported from Shanghai to the Wild West. The sky turns magenta and everybody faces off, preparing for a classic gun fight. This scene is very theatrical, comical and sets the tone for the remainder of the film. Of course, we aren't in the Old West and the leader of the Axe Gang uses an axe to prove his point and keep us firmly rooted in the world of kung-fu.

The story is a framework for Chow to throw each and every trick in the book at the audience. After he introduces the Axe Gang, we then meet the residents of Pig Sty Alley. Landlord walks through the shops, receiving tributes and terrorizing everyone in a jovial way. Until he meets up with his wife, Landlady, who terrorizes her husband. Everyone in the Alley appears perfectly normal until Sing shows up.

When the two groups meet, we learn that people have special skills that they hesitate to use, unless absolutely necessary. They will do anything to protect their lives and friends. This leads to a series of amusing, entertaining fights, in which their skills are comically enhanced by special effects. Chow deftly blends all of these elements together making them appear somehow natural. Amazing considering all of the special effects, cartoon style action and over the top acting. Once we have accepted that these things can happen in this universe, we can accept the behavior as it becomes more cartoonish and more outlandish.

The story, while slight, is effective at creating a character that we can root for. Chow's Sing is just a guy looking to join the Axe Gang, but as he witnesses their brutality, he seems more drawn to the people of Pig Sty Alley. He realizes that their efforts to use their powers, only when absolutely necessary, to defend themselves, is the more responsible course of action. Throughout the film, we see glimpses of a pivotal moment in his childhood; he saves a deaf mute girl from a bunch of bullies and buys a book about kung-fu from a street beggar. Later, we learn that Sing may be the Chosen One. To live up to this prophecy, he has to make some changes in his life.

All of these over-the-top, disparate elements combined together would normally create a mess of a film. In "Hustle", they come together to create a fun, enjoyable film that will hopefully spur filmmakers to come up with more creative ways to tell a story.

Kung Fu Hustle is the best reviewed wide release film thus far this year, and there is a very good reason for that - it IS the best wide released movie thus far this year.

Better than that - Kung Fu Hustle is a Masterpiece of Cinema.

This film is brilliantly original and monstrously entertaining. I haven't heard a crowd respond like that in a comedy in ages. The movie has smart, sharp comedy with brilliant editing and timing, fantastic action scenes which really give you a sense of scale, power, and grace - in a way that Kill Bill could only dream of - and an artistic bent and ambition that actually works. The characters are funny and the performances are outstanding.

Stephen Chow is not only one of the world's greatest comedy actors, he is also one of the world's greatest comedy directors - actually, he's one of the world's greatest directors period.

Chow has created his own new style of comedy. Nobody else is doing anything remotely like what he does, and frankly, very few, if any, would be able to do it even if they wanted to. He uses the language of film and the techniques of visual storytelling in his comedy better than anybody. Rather than just locking down the camera and shooting the scenes flat, letting the actors do all the comedic heavy lifting, which is what you see in almost every comedy, Chow makes the camera an active participant in the comedy. The visual language supports and enhances his comedy, and often becomes the very basis and essence of the comedic communication to the audience. No other comedy director uses the camera so extensively. Not even close.

Many scenes in this film can be compared to dance numbers, but in truth, the entire film is a "dance" of brilliant visual direction - I'd go so far as to say that Stephen Chow is a candidate for the title of our "visual Mozart." Turn the sound off and you can still tell exactly what is going on.

For instance, think about the section where the Assassins use their very interesting "musical weapon". I won't give anything away here, but in almost any other film, the deadliness of that weapon would've been revealed to the audience by the assassins demonstrating it - likely during a tense, quick scene where an unconvinced villain gets a "close call" when the assassins he's hiring show him just what their weapon can do. The villain might be eating an apple, say, and the villains would strum their weapon, cutting the apple in half right before it reaches his mouth - a visual demonstration. This would be a competent way to handle such a scene in a movie.

Chow doesn't go down that road, however - "competent" is not good enough for him - instead, we go straight into the scene not knowing what the weapon is or what it can do, and he gives us a gorgeous, slowly-building and musical demonstration of its power during its first deadly use... the mysterious night, the unlucky target noticing the musician plucking and tuning the instrument, the mood changing as things start to be "off", the notes being struck faster and with more intensity as branches fall around the target, and the shadow of an unlucky cat is sliced in two... Finally, after this buildup, we get the "punchline" in a gorgeous but brutally unforgettable series of quick shots.

It's an amazing piece of visual storytelling, and it is not alone in this movie. Nearly every scene is infused with visual storytelling splendor. Chow uses cinematic language to tell a story in an interesting way better than any other director working today.

In a Stephen Chow-directed film, the filmmaking is as fun to watch as he is as an actor. Every single shot slides in and out of each other in a visually striking way, but they are not merely there just "to look cool" like we get from so many other directors today - the shots are visually striking for the purpose of using the camera to tell the story. They accomplish a dramatic point that enhances the meaning of the scene and/or story.

I am a film director, and I am completely astonished by the way Chow works with the medium. I am firmly convinced that in the decades to come, like Buster Keaton before him, Chow's reputation in cinema will grow from "critically respected", like he is now, to "hailed as a film genius and pioneer". That's what happened to Buster Keaton, and it will happen to Stephen Chow.

Go see Kung Fu Hustle. And realize that you are watching a future film legend in the making while you're there. But whether you care about film history or not, you will certainly have a very fun time watching this movie.

Kung Fu Hustle is now the film to beat this year.