DVD Reviews

Kung Fu Hustle

• Rating:
• Director: Stephen Chow.
• Starring: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qui Yuen.
• Details: Hong Kong, 95 mins, 15.

It is 1940s Hong Kong, and everyone lives in terror of the murderous Axe Gang. Sing, a petty thief and inept idealist, wants to gain some social status and desires to become a member of the notorious gangsters. Along with his dozy sidekick, Bone, he impersonates the gang in a bid to avail of gangster perks - a free haircut being top of his priorities. However, he picks the wrong slum neighbourhood to act the maggot in and all high-kicking hell breaks loose. Combining a number of genres, Kung Fu Hustle is a ludic and kitsch martial arts gangster comedy. Wonderfully absurd, it is littered with numerous cinematic-in jokes (not least director/writer/actor Chow self parodying his other big hit Shaolin Soccer) excellent characters, most notably the world's scariest landlady, cartoon-ish antics and random dialogue sequences reminiscent of the Monty Python crew. Rental Extras: Includes Film With Commentary, Behind the Scenes Special, Ric Meyers Interview with Stephen Chow, Out Takes and Bloopers, TV Spots. Ei extra: An imaginatively titled sequel is in production.

Review by Elaine Reilly