A View at the Movies: Kung-Fu Hustle

It is good to have friends who are fanatics. My friend got the overseas version of Kung-Fu Hustle. It comes out in America this Friday, I think. But I ain't gotta see it! Anyway, this movie is wall-to-wall action. Stephen Chow plays this guy who's been pushed around all his life. At a young age, this old man told him that his chi was strong and he would be a Kung-Fu master. He promptly tries to rescue a girl..and gets beat down. He becomes a goofy, bitter hustler. He comes across a town that has had to defend himself from the Axe gang. It turns out that the mean landlady and her flirty husband are Kung-Fu masters, along with several townspeople. The Axe gang sends other operatives and finally a grand Kung-Fu master. Chow's character begins to hang with the Axe gang and is forced into the middle of the battle between the landlady-husband team and the Grand master. I won't give away the climax, but the goofy characters, sight gags, and choreography is over the top. There are also a lot of cool, cartoony special effects and very cool battles. Even if you're not into kung-fu, it is funny and action-packed. I give this film five karate chops. Be easy.