Story: The streets of early '30s Shanghai is ripe with corruption and greed. The Axe Gang has run a monopoly in all affairs gang-related. The only places that have escaped the grip of their control are the slumps that house lower-class citizens. Although they lived in awful conditions, they were happy. That all changed when the act of a single man starts a war between the simple people of Pig Sty Alley and the ruthless criminals of the Axe Gang

Review: Can you believe SHAOLIN SOCCER came out in 2001? Can you really believe that much time has gone by since we submitted our mind and body to that gem of a film? Can you believe that we have waited so patiently for Stephen Chow’s follow-up film? Well…it’s finally here. Much like the first viewing of SHAOLIN SOCCER, Stephen Chow has once again, penetrated into our rib-cages and stolen our hearts.

While SHAOLIN SOCCER may not be able to claim sole credit for the Hong Kong cinema renaissance, it definitely upped the ante for the quality of its films. Three years later, KUNG FU HUSTLE arrives. Released in December, it becomes Hong Kong’s top grosser of 2004. No, you read that sentence right, in just ONE month in release it shatters every movie released in the prior eleven months. What makes Chow’s films hit such a harmonious note that pleases all our senses? The answers simple: it retains the magic of Hong Kong cinema.

If you asked anyone ten years ago if they could see Stephen Chow as a martial arts hero, I’m sure most everyone would be skeptical. While a majority of his films have a tint of a martial art flavor, the comedy aspect always triumphed over it. FIST OF FURY 1991 was his first submergence into a martial arts genre, but even so, it was more comedy than anything. SHAOLIN SOCCER finally brought his love for the genre into the big picture and perfectly mixed it with the typical Chow comedy. KUNG FU HUSTLE plays a different game. The martial arts aspect is front and center and for the first time in a Chow picture, the comedy takes a backseat.

The style is influenced heavily by classic Chinese martial arts literature and Shaw Brother films. Because of these inspirations, Chow crafts a film saturated with the magic reminiscent of the old films. Employing an arsenal of different fighting techniques in the film, when these techniques are deployed against each other, the audience is reintroduced to the mystical world where the Toad Fighting Style puts up a challenging fight against the Buddha Palm Fist technique. Each fighter is given ample amount of screen time to flesh out their unique characters. The downside of this is Chow seems to be missing from a good chunk of the film, but his sacrifice let’s each fighter become even more colorful and imaginative than they already are. KUNG FU HUSTLE ultimately becomes an endearing and terrific homage to martial art films rather than a Chow-brand action comedy.

SHAOLIN SOCCER showed us Chow’s inspired ways to utilize CGI special effects. While certainly not the best CGI of it’s time, it had heart and soul. Rather than using CGI for the sake of CGI, Chow used it to heighten the scenes. KUNG FU HUSTLE is no exception. Mixing wire work with CGI, it seems like Chow has hit a peak. How can you top kicking a man into the air and then thrusting him across the sky before he hits the ground? How can you top an all out brawl against a guqin (the traditional Chinese musical instrument) that spits out blades? How can you top a fight sequence that pits one man against about a hundred men with axes? How will you do it Chow, how?!

While most of the comedy is gut-busting, there are a couple of hit or miss scenes. One scene in particular rises above the others. Chow’s character and the landlady engage into a Looney Toon-ish chase sequence. To some, it’ll be a sequence for cheap laughs that they’ll forgive, but to others, it feels like Chow’s gently ripping through the surface saying “Hey! I know this is pretty much a martial arts flick, but good ‘ol goofy Chow is still here!”

A KUNG FU HUSTLE sequel is already in the works. While I would love to see Chow tackle another realm in the film world, I’m more than willing to once again enter the fantastic world Chow has crafted. Do I really need to say it? KUNG FU HUSTLE is essential viewing and one of the best comedy/martial art film you’ll ever see!