We're introduced to the Axe Gang, a mass army of suited henchmen who command sway over the hotspots of 1920s China, with a brutal slaying worthy of Scorsese. They summarily break off into a choreographed dance routine over the opening credits, and it's clear that we're back in Stephen Chow's world. In the provincial towns, a burly landlady screams at her tenants with such force the ground shudders and the windows smash. An Axe Gang leader is given a bad hairstyle by one of the town's folk, and soon the whole village is under attack. Sing (Chow) wants to be an Axe because 'being a bad guy is cool'; he helps the protagonists get the 'Beast' out of a mental asylum so he can defeat the screaming landlady and her dithering spouse in kung fu combat. Chow's inspiration is as much Western as it is Eastern, with obligatory Bruce Lee parodies in tow alongside brilliant takes on Gangs of New York and The Matrix. The madcap surrealism of Shaolin Soccer is at the film's heart, but the greater scale of this production (partly financed by American money) dictates a much more polished, accomplished piece: Chow's maturity as a director has blossomed, the sets/costumes/characters are vividly imaginative, while the pace of the humour is expertly complimented by a much more sinister, darker overtone, something Chow seems to have embraced full heartedly. While Chow the comedian has never looked better; with a heavy endorsement of CGI responsible for the more irreverent comedy, Chow's performance sees him fine-tune his Chaplinesque timing, cuddly dexterity and Bruce Lee intensity to absolute perfection, underlining the fact that if Hong Kong comedy has any future at all, its firmly up to the fate of Stephen Chow. This is a delightful kung fu romp. If you don't find something to love about this movie then you should check if you're still breathing.
Review of Kung Fu Hustle
