Kung Fu Hustle (Blu-ray Disc, 2006)

I rented Kung Fu hustle because of some previews that I had seen that I thought looked interesting, and found it to be one of the most entertaining, unpredictable, humourous, and enjoyable martial arts films I have ever seen. Actor and director Stephen Chow has been dubbed "The King of Comedy" by the Hong Kong entertainment media, although it was doubtful at first that his comedic style would fly in the United States as it consisted mainly of mo lei tau (nonsense), or a non-stop stream of double entendres and euphemisms that does not translate well. However, his critics have been silenced with the roaring success of his wuxia hit "Kung Fu Hustle". Chow plays a small time hustler, Sing, who poses as a dangerous Axe gang member in order to shake down the seemingly simple and poor slum tenants in Pig Sty Ally. Instead, he incites a riot and its aftermath that encompasses the Axe gang, the peasants unveiled as kung fu masters, Sing's loyal and plodding accomplice, a deaf but beautiful ice cream vendor, and the world's top kung fu killer. The movie races along with side-splitting gags, cartoonish special effects and top notch martial arts sequences, with homages to western action and classic kung fu films as well as old silents and Looney Tunes cartoons. The filmmaking is amazingly deft, with camera angles that soar, visual tricks that astound, and scenes that flout the laws of phyics. The insanely rapid-paced plot of this action/comedy/musical/drama is set in a colorful 1930's Shanghai, and the comic set-up is offset by darker themes later in the film. I don't believe in plot spoilers, so the ending won't be revealed here, but suffice to say that it's all completely unpredicatable, highly outlandish, totally off the top, and yet delivers real charm, imagination, wit, and humor in an unforgettable tale of redemption. This is a must see for anyone, and a liking for martial arts flicks is definately NOT a prerequisite here.

PROS - Unique style, side splitting humor, top notch special effects, over the top martial arts sequences, artful traditional Chinese music as well as an excellent orchestral score, and a far-from-predictable storyline.

CONS - Spotty pacing in some scenes.