I still can’t believe that this masterpiece by Stephen Chow (that was well ahead of its time even in 2004) is now close to two decades old and still thriving on television screens.
“Kung Fu Hustle” was a big part of my childhood. Growing up as a kid with a cable connection, I never missed reruns of this iconic movie (both the English and Hindi dub versions). It is the kind of movie you can never get enough of, and which never loses its charm and uniqueness. The film is a one-of-a-kind action/comedy; it is still held in high regards for its blend of great acting, excellent script, its exhilarating and unnerving climax, and logic-defying action sequences. It can be ranked high with movies such as “Shaun of the Dead” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” in terms of awesomeness, and I’ve yet to meet anybody who talks ill of this movie.
The movie sets itself in the fictional ‘Pig Sty Alley,’ a crowded and rundown apartment complex run by a landlady with an iron fist. Life there is pretty much normal; the residents but get into verbal threats with the landlady or unite with their neighbours against her over petty issues. The perverted landlord has a habit of getting a knuckle sandwich every two minutes for spying on ladies bathing in the complex, yet everybody leads their day-to-day lives without any major scuffles.
This is until the arrival of an overconfident wannabe gangster who moonlights as a down-on-his-luck thief named ‘Sing’ along with ‘Bone,’ his partner in crime. The two bring with them nothing but misfortune; they irk not only the landlady but also accidentally incurring the wrath of the dreaded ‘Axe Gang.’
The arrival of the murderous Axe Gang to the Pig Sty Alley not only makes life hell for the innocent residents, but also causes regular folk (such as a baker, a tailor, and a coolie) to hang up their work tools for good in order to take up the role of protecting their neighbours from the Axe Gang’s assorted goons. These include two blind harpists who carry around a special Chinese harp that they use to cause havoc and mortally wound anybody who comes in their way.
The notorious ‘Axe Gang’ present threats throughout the film. Photo: Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, 2004.
Thanks to its odd and interesting characters and the skills they possess, there’s hardly a dull moment in the movie. Additionally, the film frames a lot of the action sequences with grace; they often feel inspired by the violent, gory, yet entertaining works of Tarantino. At the same time, the humour features tongue-in-cheek takes on popular cartoons; this is especially true with the high-octane chases between Sing and the landlady that are reminiscent of the “Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner” cartoons. Even the meet-cute between Sing and his mute childhood friend Fong mirrors classic Hollywood romances.
Stephen Chow has been vocal in interviews about being a cinephile and learning martial arts from Bruce Lee movies. Many of the landlady’s traits are inspired by Lee’s “Way of the Dragon,” so this comes as no surprise.
But despite its grandeur, its over-the-top CGI, sound effects, and fantasy scenes, “Kung Fu Hustle” grounds itself in reality. It never strays away from highlighting the problems of the poor inhabitants of Pig Sty Alley. Their lives are very relatable, considering that there’s still bound to be a lot of corruption, power clashes, and bullying at the hands of the privileged who choose to look down on those who have very little. And as I grew up and re-analyzed this movie, the manner in which Chow peels back the layers of the theme of classism in his passion project became even more apparent to me.
The performances are a delight. Stephen Chow and Lam Tze-chung are basically the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of the Hong Kong film industry; they make for a uniquely thrilling pairing. While Chow gets to show off his dramatic chops in film’s latter half, Tze-chung is mostly being the comic relief. However, they both excel in their respective roles. Additionally, Shengyi Huang is very expressive as the mute Fong.
Fight choreography modeled after old Bruce Lee films elevate the film. Photo: Photo: Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, 2004.
However, the show-stealer here is Yuen Qiu as the landlady of Pig Sty Alley. She has a strong screen presence and her performance is truly applause worthy. Yuen Wah as her husband, the landlord complements her well. Together, they are the very definition of couple goals, commanding attention with their mutual prowess at martial arts. (Fun fact: Yuen Wah started his career as Bruce Lee’s stunt double while Yuen Qiu was featured in “The Man with the Golden Gun” alongside Roger Moore).
Danny Chan Kwok-kwan as Brother Sum, the smarmy leader of the Axe Gang, may be a tad caricature-ish as the villain and one-sided, but he will still make your blood boil. Every character no matter how big or small has their quirks and oddball behaviour. Brother Sum is no exception; he dances like a cold-hearted bully with his gang before setting out to wreak havoc on innocents.
Stephen Chow dons many hats in most of his movies; here he composes the music in addition from acting, directing, and writing the movie. The soundtrack is an ear worm, especially the background score and “Zhiyao Weini Huo Yitian,” the film’s love theme. I highly recommend giving both these elegant and alluring tracks a listen if you haven’t yet.
Well, that’s it from me. But do check out this thrilling movie for yourself…especially if you’re looking for an escape to beat the lockdown blues.
*”Kung Fu Hustle” is currently available to watch on most streaming platforms at the time of this writing.
