Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese: 功夫; lit. 'Kung Fu') is a 2004 martial arts action comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the leading role, alongside Huang Shengyi, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan and Leung Siu-lung in prominent roles. The story revolves around a murderous neighbourhood gang, a poor village with unlikely heroes and an aspiring gangster's fierce journey to find his true self. The martial arts choreography is supervised by Yuen Woo-ping.
Kung Fu Hustle
功夫
Gōng Fū
Gung1 Fu1
- Stephen Chow
- Huo Xin
- Chan Man-keung
- Tsang Kan-cheung
Stephen Chow
- Stephen Chow
- Po-Chu Chui
- Jeffrey Lau
- James Wang
- Stephen Chow
- Danny Chan
- Yuen Wah
- Yuen Qiu
- Eva Huang
- Leung Siu-lung
Angie Lam
- Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia
- Star Overseas
- Beijing Film Studio
- Taihe Film Investment
- China Film Group
- Huayi Brothers
Huayi Brothers (China)[1]
Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (International)[2][3]
- 14 September 2004 (TIFF)
- 23 December 2004 (Hong Kong)
98 minutes[4]
$20 million[5]
$104.9 million[6]
The film was a co-production between Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese companies, filmed in Shanghai. After the commercial success of Shaolin Soccer, its production company, Star Overseas, began to develop the films with Columbia Pictures Asia in 2002. It features a number of retired actors famous for 1970s Hong Kong action cinema and has been compared to contemporary and influential wuxia films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. The cartoon special effects in the film, accompanied by traditional Chinese music, are often cited as its most striking feature.
Kung Fu Hustle was released on 23 December 2004 in China and on 25 January 2005 in the United States. The film received positive reviews and grossed US$17 million in North America and US$84 million in other regions. It was tenth on the list of highest-grossing foreign-language films in the United States as well as the highest-grossing foreign-language film in the country in 2005. Kung Fu Hustle won numerous awards, including six Hong Kong Film Awards and five Golden Horse Awards. The film was re-released in 3D in October 2014 across Asia and America, marking the tenth anniversary of the film.
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Plot[edit]
In 1940s Shanghai, petty crooks Sing and Bone aspire to join the notorious Axe Gang, led by the cold-blooded killer, Brother Sum. The pair visit a rundown slum known as Pigsty Alley to extort the residents by pretending to be Axe members. Sing's actions eventually attract attention of the real gang, who confront the villagers. Gang reinforcements arrive but they are all quickly dealt with by three of the slum's tenants: Coolie, Tailor, and Donut, who are actually kung fu masters. However, fearing the Axe Gang's retaliation, the slum's Landlady evicts the trio.
Brother Sum captures Sing and Bone, intending to kill them for posing as gang members. However, Sing and Bone narrowly escape, impressing Brother Sum, who offers to let them join the Axe Gang, on the condition that they kill someone. Sing recalls his childhood to Bone when he was tricked by a vagrant into buying a martial arts pamphlet with his meager savings. After practicing the pamphlet's Buddhist Palm technique, Sing attempted to save a mute girl named Fong from bullies, but was instead beaten and humiliated. Sing became adamant that heroes never win, and resolved to be a villain.
Sing and Bone return to Pigsty Alley to kill the Landlady, but fail and are chased off the premises. Sing retreats to a traffic pulpit where his injuries mysteriously heal instantly. Meanwhile, Brother Sum, intent on vengeance against Pigsty Alley, hires two Harpists that use a magical guzheng as their weapon. They successfully eliminate the three masters, but are defeated by the Landlady and her husband the Landlord, who reveal themselves to be skilled fighters as well.
A frustrated Sing attempts to rob an ice cream vendor, but discovers that she is actually Fong. When she recognizes him and offers him a lollipop, which reminds him of the day he tried to save her, he smashes it and leaves in shame. Brother Sum offers Sing immediate gang membership if he uses his lock-picking skills to free the Beast, a legendary assassin, from a mental asylum. Sing succeeds and brings the Beast back to the Axe Gang's headquarters.
Brother Sum is initially skeptical of the Beast due to his flippant attitude and sloppy appearance, but quickly changes his mind when the Beast stops a bullet midair. The Beast meets the Landlady and Landlord at the casino next door, engaging them in a fierce fight that ends in a stalemate. Sing, realizing the error of his ways, attacks the Beast, who angrily retaliates. The Landlady and Landlord grab the unconscious Sing and flee. The Beast eliminates Brother Sum and takes over as leader of the Axes.
The Landlady and Landlord treat Sing at Pigsty Alley and are surprised by his quick recovery. The Landlady deduces Sing is, in fact, a natural-born kung fu genius. With his newfound powers, Sing effortlessly dispatches the Axes before fighting the Beast. Sing uses the Buddhist Palm technique to neutralize the Beast, who concedes defeat.
Sing and Bone open a candy store with Fong's lollipop as their logo. Fong visits Sing at his store, and the pair embrace. The vagrant who sold the pamphlet to Sing can be seen outside selling other pamphlets.
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Releases[edit]
Kung Fu Hustle premiered at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival.[49] It was later released across East Asia including China, Hong Kong and Malaysia in December 2004.[50] The film was first shown in the US at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2005,[51] and then opened in a general release on 22 April 2005 after being shown in Los Angeles and New York for two weeks.[52]
The North American DVD release was on 8 August 2005.[53] A Blu-ray version of the DVD was released on 12 December 2006 by Sony Pictures. A UMD version of the film was released for the PlayStation Portable.[54] The United States DVD releases were censored, cutting a number of scenes that featured lots of blood or human excrement. A later release, called "The Kick-Axe Edition", restored these scenes.[55][56]
In the United Kingdom the standard DVD was released 24 October 2005, the same day a special edition was released with collector's items, which included playing cards, a keyring, a sweat band, and an inflatable axe.[57][58] On 8 April 2007, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a Blu-ray version.[59]
The Portuguese title of the film is Kungfusão, which sounds like Kung Fu and Confusão (confusion).[60] In the same way as Kungfusão, the Italian and Spanish titles were Kung-fusion and Kung-fusión, puns of "confusion".[61][62] In France, the film is known as Crazy Kung Fu, and the Hungarian title is A Pofonok Földje, meaning The Land of Punches.[63][64]
In Korea a Limited Collector's Edition DVD was released which included a leather wallet, Stephen Chow's Palm Figure with his signature, a photo album and Special Kung Fu's Booklet with a certificate of authenticity.[65]
Potential sequel[edit]
In 2005, Chow announced that there would be a sequel to Kung Fu Hustle, although he had not settled on a female lead. "There will be a lot of new characters in the movie. We'll need a lot of new actors. It's possible that we'll look for people abroad besides casting locals".[101] In January 2013, during an interview, Chow admitted that plans for making Kung Fu Hustle 2 have been put on hold. "I was indeed in the midst of making the movie, but it is currently put on hold in view of other incoming projects".[102] Production of Kung Fu Hustle 2 was delayed while Chow filmed the science fiction adventure film CJ7. As a result, Kung Fu Hustle 2 was slated for a 2014 release.[103] By 2017, Chow had already completed The Mermaid and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back. Due to his focus on behind-the-scenes production and the fact that he has not made an appearance since CJ7, it was suspected that he had stopped acting. However, Chow clarified that he still wants to act, but has not found a role suited for him. Kung Fu Hustle 2 remains incomplete.[104] In February 2019, during a promo interview for The New King of Comedy, Stephen confirmed that the sequel is in the works. He will direct the movie and possibly cameo in the film, but the story will not be a direct sequel to the first one. Chow explains the sequel will be a spiritual successor to the first one, but set in modern times.[105]
Video games[edit]
Online and mobile games[edit]
In 2004 a promotional flash game was released by Sony Pictures Entertainment on their Japanese website.[106] The game was created by Japanese game developer Point Zero and plays as a point-and-click beat 'em up.[107] A side-scrolling game designed for mobile phones was later released in 2006 by developer Tracebit.[108]
MMO[edit]
In 2007 Sony Online Entertainment announced that a massively multiplayer online 2D side-scrolling fighter game based on the film was under development for the Chinese market. Two years later a preview of the game was featured at E3 where it received mixed reviews from critics with many comparing it to similar MMO games such as Guild Wars and Phantasy Star Online.[109]
A North American release for PC and PS3 was planned for late 2009,[109] but never came to fruition. The game was only available in Asia for the PC.[110]
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