Kung Fu Hustle reviewed by Sam Osborn.

rating: 1.5 out of 4

A couple years ago a little film called Shaolin Soccer tripped into theaters after being endlessly shuffled around by distributors. The film didn't get around to my area, so I rented it out of the godly Netflix a few months later. I expected a nicely goofy rendition of the typical formula soccer film with some interesting kung fu. What I got was a diluted mess of amateur CGI and a screenplay that seemed to be regurgitated from the mind of an infant. Not much more can be said about Chow's latest outing, Kung Fu Hustle. It's little more than a poor video game concept brought to the big screen. With no story, half-baked characters, and the stupidest sense of humor this side of Barney, Kung Fu Hustle is one of the most critically overrated films in years.

That being said, some credit must be given to Yuen Wo Ping and Sammo Hung for their brilliant choreography. Also, it can't go without saying that Stephen Chow does show some hints of talent among this convoluted disaster. He obviously has a sharp eye for visual treats and a creativity that can't be matched. But why does he waste it on this high budget, low grade comedy? I just don't understand.

If you must know, there's some excuse for a plot dumped out by the screenplay in the opening sequence. In pre-revolution China, gangs ruled the land. The biggest and most terrible of these gangs was the Axe Gang (original, I know). This Axe Gang goes through each town demanding tribute and killing all who refuse with, yes, axes. That is, until they stumble upon Pigsty Alley. Hidden within Pigsty Alley are a myriad of kung fu masters, all of whom duke it out with a warrior from the Axe Gang. But Pigsty Alley would be lost if it weren't for, wait for it, the chosen one. You get the idea.

The whole film plays out like one of those fighting games on video game consoles. If you haven't played one, they consist of a short CGI back-story explaining the beef between the two characters, then an extended duel of boxing, shooting, slicing, kicking, etc. After all this is over, you do it again. Kung Fu Hustle essentially pulls the same trick, creating cute good guys and diabolic bad guys to duke it out in CGI madness, where real prowess in kung fu is certainly not necessary. I have a feeling Yuen Wo Ping spent much more of his time choreographing a computer programmer than an actor.

Amidst all this fighting, Chow crams in his trademark "humor". This consists of many jokes concerning flatulence, male nudity, haphazard and silly slapstick, and males harassing females. It's just not funny. The humor has been related to that of Buster Keaton and the greats of the early years of cinema. From what I've seen of Mr. Keaton's work, I think he'd cry if he heard that.