The Hustler
Now Playing: Kung Fu Hustle (Steven Chow, 2005)
If you’re anything like me, you’ll leave Steven Chow’s latest suffering from exhaustion and sensory overload. As he proved in his previous film, Shaolin Soccer, his m.o. is "more is better"-—more gags, bigger stunts, visuals limited only by the processors on your rendering computers, and a complete willingness to go ever further over the top made that film irresistibly enjoyable despite the one-note simplicity of the plot. The good news: Kung Fu Hustle offers more of the same, with even more outlandish visuals and frenetic action. Those given to such things will find plenty to love in this film, which one-ups its predecessor while adhering to the same basic formula.

The story again concerns a ne’er-do-well who must learn to harness the mystical power of kung fu to overcome a powerful adversary. In this case, it’s the Axe Gang, a brutal triad that rules 1920’s Shanghai by freely exercising the eponymous hatchet and other brutal means of coercion. The residents of Pig Sty Alley are too poor to come to the attention of the gangs, that is, until Sing (Chow) stirs up trouble by grifting residents, claiming to be an Axe brother. When the gang retaliates, however, they find that all is not as it seems. The tenement is home to three kung fu masters who are living incognito, and the harridan landlady (Qiu Yuen, stealing the show) and her shrinking violet husband have some supernatural abilities of their own. Looking for a way to eliminate the protectors of Pig Sty Alley, the leader of the Axe Gang, Brother Sum (Kwok Kuen Chan) recruits Sing, who, despite a fundamentally kind heart, really wants to be a bad guy. Five hundred kinds of mayhem ensue.

Chow is quite gifted visually speaking, and Kung Fu Hustle gives him the right sized canvas. Where Shaolin Soccer’s low budget was sometimes evident, the follow up has a look as slick as anything out of Hollywood. The ‘20’s setting allows for fantastic costumes and sets, and Chow makes the most of them. An opening dance number introducing the black-suited legions of the Axe Gang establishes the right tone—something like a big musical production from the ‘50’s (although Chow drops the song and dance after that—probably too much for even him to juggle). Chow excels at using eye-popping special effects to create a live action cartoon, and he lets his Tex Avery fixation run wild. It bears notice in this sanitized age that slapstick is so-called for a reason. The violence certainly falls under the category of cartoon violence, but it seems strong at times, especially if you haven’t seen a classic Warner Bros. cartoon recently. It’s also bloodier (though hardly a gorefest) than American family fare. Still, it’s hard not to laugh when Landlady throws her hapless husband out of a top-story window and his crash landing is punctuated by the familiar flowerpot to the head, and a Roadrunner-inspired chase complete with legs motion-blurred into spinning wheels is delightful. Other sight gags are less successful, such as a number of obvious quotes from films from The Shining to The Matrix (whose legendary action choreographer, Yuen Wo Ping, also worked on this film). There’s no time to dwell on a failed gag, though—-think about it and you’ll miss the next ten. Chow throws it all up on the wall to see what will stick, and, at least in this case, more sticks than doesn’t.

Kung Fu Hustle is pure cinematic confection. You’ll leave the film with a big grin on your face, unsure of exactly what you’ve just witnessed and dubious about its nutritional value. But, hey—-sometimes you need a well-balanced meal; sometimes you just have to gorge on the sweet stuff. Kung Fu Hustle is a deep-fried Mars bar a la mode dipped in chocolate and topped with whipped cream and about fifty cherries.