"Kungfu Hustle" 周星馳電影 - 功夫

[skylee]

Looking forward to it.

http://www.kungfuhustle.com/

[ThePhatGentleman]

I think the only film of Steven Chow I did not enjoy was 60 million dollar man. However, even that was hilarious at certain points. If I could recommend a good film, I would suggest Out of Dark. It is another Steven Chow classic. I think that film is the only film that made me laugh the hardest out of the others. The Heroin Addict in the Out of Dark made tears almost come out of my eyes. King of Comedy is another great film of Steven Chow. However, that film was more of a heart warmer. Out of Dark is now out of print in America and you can't get it off of yesasia. However, I bought mine when I was living in China. So, you can still find it.

Hmmm... there are so many great Chow films. I also recommend the God of Gamblers 2 and 3. Also, my extra personal favorite: Tricky Brains. Andy Lau and Chow make a great team.

[skylee]

This is from the latest issue of Time -

Several other Asian films made sweet music in Toronto. One was Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle, which had its world premiere here, but without the presence of its director-star, who could not get a visa in time. No matter. The audience went nuts, cheering each set piece of whirling action, choreographed by Yuen Wo-ping and Sammo Hung. The film may not break Asian box-office records, as Chow's Shaolin Soccer did. But it's much better: handsomely designed and shot, full of knowledgeable nostalgia for the old Shaw Brothers martial-arts films, and engagingly played by a cast of expert, not-so-familiar actors.

Set in 1930s Shanghai, the film is about the attempts of the notorious Axe Gang to prey on the poor people of Pig Sty Alley - people who happen to have preternatural prowess in martial arts. You'll find characters to root for (the gentle baker, the mincing tailor, the irascible landlady) and to hiss (the zither-playing assassins, the chorus line of dapper thugs, the mild-looking elderly gent they call The Beast). Chow not only casts himself on the wrong side, as a gangster wannabe, he also takes a supporting role and doesn't grab center screen until a climactic fight that follows his ascent into heaven to beg fight advice from the Buddha. The mouthy star wants to show he has as much skill behind the camera as in front of it, and Kung Fu proves him spectacularly right.

[skylee]

Another trailer

[skylee]

Local poster (actually the ones I see in subway stations are much more impressive - they are huge)

Japanese poster

[arthurdent]

Interesting to read that Chow couldnt secure a visa for Canada. I remember a Chinese friend of mine harping on about him being a 'terrorist' and being quite puzzled. His English wasn't so good and, as time passed, i found out from another source that my friend 'actually' meant that Stephen Chow had Triad connections and couldnt' get a visa to get out of China/HK. Is this true? Does anyone have any info or links to stories that would confirm/deny this rumour?

Eagerly awaiting Hustle

[Ian_Lee]

Hong Kong residents don't need a visa to visit Canada.

What you heard was that before 1997, many people in HK including the celebrities were arranging a second residency overseas.

Chow applied for an immigrant visa to Canada but was denied. He appealed but was still denied. Later it was rumored that the reason of denial was Chow had Triad connection. But such rumor was unconfirmed since Canadian Immigration officials were unlikely to reveal the reasons.

Some movie moguls in HK have Triad connection. But to work for a boss who had Triad connection does not mean that Chow is a Triad member.

[Ian_Lee]

On the eve of wide release of "Kung Fu Hustle", everybody is guessing on how much this movie will smash in the Asian Box Office.

Interestingly this movie is funded mostly by Hollywood money. Columbia contributed about US$15 million (huge budget per Asian standard) to the production and if this movie makes it, probably more Hollywood money will come.

CTHD was also funded by Hollywood money (Sony). But Ang Lee had been already quite well-known in Hollywood before CTHD.

[Ian_Lee]

Judged by the first day box office receipts, it seems this movie will break all records in Mainland and HK.

[skylee]

I saw it last night. I think I like it. I actually find that part about all those Kung Fu masters hiding just to live their lives and wouldn't fight back until they are forced to quite touching. Most laobaixing are like that. The fun parts are still very funny. The special effects are quite impressive, though some scenes look fairly similar to the Matrix, probably because of Yuen Wo Ping (could I describe him as the renowned?).

But some people might find it 了無新意, or 東湊西拼, or 不夠好笑 ...

[skylee]

BTW, it plays on our collective childhood memory. I think it would be much less funny if the audience don't know about the background of 如來神掌, or who 神鵰俠侶 and 火雲邪神 are.

[skylee]

Some reviews -

《功夫》成績優異 魔幻手法重構武林神話

《功夫》開畫大旺 好手雲集作出懷舊致意

內地影迷﹕勝過《天下無賊》 港觀眾讚好獨嫌特技誇

[Ian_Lee]

"Kung Fu Hustle" is now breaking all Box Office Records (Hollywood and Chinese movies included) in Mainland cities, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia,.....etc.

Even though I have not yet watched the movie, here are some observations:

(1) Although this movie is widely using computer graphic, actually it is very nostalgic in paying tribute to all the HK Kung Fu movies made in different periods;

(2) This movie is actually the first Stephen Chow movie shown in Mainland cinemas;

(3) After 3 years' hard work, Chow's hair turns grey albeit he is only 42 years old.

[skylee]

After 3 years' hard work, Chow's hair turns grey albeit he is only 42 years old.

Indeed. he looks so tired.

[Ian_Lee]

Very strange. Most versions of this movie shown in Taiwan's cinemas are Cantonese. Read the chart:

http://ecommerce.taipeitimes.com/ecom/eservice/standard_html_movie

[Lu]

I wonder why? Taiwanese speak Taiyu, not Cantonese.

I went to the Mandarin version (of course), really liked the movie, it's so funny. But it was more violent than I had expected, lot of blood, and the scene in the beginning when the woman is shot in the back is not really funny...

Skylee, who are 如來神掌, 神雕俠侶 and 火雲邪神 then?

[skylee]

如來神掌 -> http://global.yesasia.com/b5/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1001808763/aid-11865/section-videos/code-c/version-all/ (this is what I watched on TV when I was a kid. These programmes were usually called 粵語長片, but nowadays they are called 粵語殘片. )

火雲邪神 -> http://global.yesasia.com/b5/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1001844800/section-comics/code-c/version-hk/

神鵰俠侶 -> http://global.yesasia.com/b5/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1003201868/aid-17104/section-books/code-c/version-tw/ (One of the novels of 金庸. The title couple is 楊過 and 小龍女.)

BTW, 蛤蟆功 is the fighting style of 歐陽鋒, a character in 神鵰俠侶 and 射鵰英雄傳. He is called 西毒, one of the most powerful Kung Fu Masters in the stories (i.e. 東邪, 西毒, 南帝, 北丐, 中神通). And of course these characters had also inspired Wong Kar Wai's film 東邪西毒.

[roddy]

I saw this yesterday in the cinema here in Beijing - it's also all over the place on DVD.

I liked it - it's a mad mix of styles, with bits of almost Matrix-like mass fights ( as mentioned), cartoonish elements (I kept on expecting Bugs Bunny or Wile E Coyote to put in cameos), half a love story tagged in and some great laugh-aloud comic moments, and God knows what else. I wouldn't say it's a great film, but it moves at such a pace and is often so unexpected that you really don't get a chance to think about it and just get swept along.

Roddy

[Ian_Lee]

"Kung Fu Hustle" is breaking the previous Box Office Record set by "The Lord of the Ring -- The Return of the King" in Taiwan -- It grossed over NT$100 million in merely 9 days!

Many Taiwanese audience watched the Mandarin version and Cantonese version each once. And some have already watched the movie 5 times! Read:

http://www.ettoday.com/2005/01/02/38-1736217.htm

Moreover, the Cantonese version is shown as frequent as every 20 minutes in some screens in the cinemaplex in Taipei. Read:

http://content.sina.com/news/71/79/7717906_1_b5.html

[skylee]

I like these -

星星一小步，功夫影片一大步。

总结：

人物是虚构的，故事是老套的

笑点是很多的，方式是惯用的

音乐是民族的，声效是很强的

ＣＧ是酷酷的，先涛是欣欣的

动作略夸张的，部分是动漫的

元素是商业的，效果是正面的

改变是明显的，星星是有料的

用心是良苦的，成功是必然的

From this review.