In recent years, the American assumption about Hong Kong cinema seems to be that their movies consist of chop-socky wackiness. In that respect, "Kung Fu Hustle" does not disappoint. It tells the story of the Axe Gang, who rule 1940s Hong Kong mafia-style. One of their members is Sing (director Stephen Chow), who joined them because, as he puts it, when he was young, he wanted to be a good guy, but found out that it was easier to be a bad guy. Anyway, the Axe Gang descends on a slum known as Pig Sty Alley, which hides some treasures. But of course, the people who live there aren't going to let the Axe Gang run roughshod over them. From that point on, the movie becomes a cross between Bruce Lee and Chris Farley, especially with the harp-playing scene.

Stephen Chow is clearly showing himself to be quite a director, with this movie and with "Shaolin Soccer". Admittedly, "Kung Fu Hustle" is not any kind of masterpiece; as far as I can tell, it exists for the sole purpose of entertainment. But let's face it, that's the case with most martial arts movies (you might recall that "Enter the Dragon" really had no reason for existence except to show off Bruce Lee's impressive skills). There is one scene in this movie where Pig Sty Alley's landlady (Qiu Yuen) chases one of the gangsters in what appears to be a spoof of/homage to the Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote cartoons. 100% cool.