There is a dish in South East Asian countries called the 'rojak'; a mix of sliced greens, fried fritters, squid and eggs and topped with a thick peanut gravy. It doesn't sound particularly promising, looks much worse but locals justifiably pick their plates clean every time. This much can be said of Stephen Chow's erstwhile effort, the dodgy cornball humour of "Shaolin Soccer", and now, the chowster is back for another dose of shenanigans with "Kung Fu Hustle", already a huge hit in this region. Just like the 'rojak', Hong Kong cinema and movies like KungFu Hustle would never be mistaken for high art, with subtlety thrown further out the window than the protagonists are during the action sequences, and slapstick jarringly pitched at hysterical levels wedged in between dramatic sequences. There is a feeble plot about finding one's true self and being the "chosen one" as the denizens of a local town must fight against the powerful Axes gangsters, but one can't seriously discuss narrative possibilities when the lead in the film uses such gifts as the "hurricane power palm blow" (it's a kung fu move diametrically opposed to David Carradines "exploding palm" technique in Kill Bill; one strike and a 50 foot palm print appears on the side of buildings. You get the drift).

Stephen Chow is already a veteran in his native Hong Kong, where he first started out in collaboration with or in imitation of that other master of lowbrow humour, Wong Jing. One dimensional caricatures feature prominently in these movies, and Chow puts on the same deadpan expression and parochial cantonese drone in literally dozens of (best-selling) films. It is nice to see him maturing somewhat, just like Tom Hanks did; currently, Chow is already a reliable male lead in dramatic roles, not that his role in KungFu hustle would stretch any reasonably seasoned thespian.

It is interesting to note the role slapstick in Hong Kong films; it is similar to the recitativo in Italian opera, and the singing sequences in Bollywood films. They are interludes in the narrative designed to play to the audiences, which says a lot about audience tastes. Western viewers not familiar with Hong Kong cinema have generally been perplexed, but those of us in the know take it with a groan and quickly wait for the next kung fu sequence. There are, however, several laugh out loud slapstick sequences in Kung Fu Hustle that comes as a nice surprise (the surprise being that it was actually funny, and reasonably inoffensive).

The action choreography is first rate, the special effects are hugely imaginative, all in all the technical credits are above par for a Hong Kong film.

The references to the Matrix are courtesy of great wire-kung fu fights choreographed by the inestimable Yuen Wo Ping. But it is the less obvious references to Terry Gilliam's "the adventures of Baron Munchausen" that truly bring a chuckle. One of the characters is as fleet of feet as Berthold, while the ending is a nice touch: a small boy leads a girl by hand towards a movie theatre, and on the streets, a peddler sells a series of kung fu adventure comics to another urchin. As most young Asian boys will know, a kung fu comic promises fantastical adventures on the cheap, very much in the spirit of this often low brow but nonetheless exuberant movie. Just like the Baron on his horse at the end of "adventures", Chow seems to wink: It's silly but fun, hope you enjoyed the show! And yes, I did.