"Kungfu Hustle" 周星馳電影 - 功夫

[Ian_Lee]

Some movie reviews in Mainland applaud Stephen Chow can better elaborate the underlying theme of martial art and articulate Chinese culture than either Zhang Yimou or Ang Lee in movie.

Read:

http://ent.163.com/ent/editor/movie/050106/050106_365910.html

http://et.21cn.com/movie/xinpianreping/2005/01/04/1928020.shtml

http://finance.tom.com/1015/1016/200516-138494.html`

In the meantime, "Kung Fu Hustle" scored big on debut in Japan on 1/1/05. The Box Office target there is 3 billion Yen.

[Becki]

Ive seen it twice now in sydney both of times with chinese friends, one of my friends hadnt been to the cinemas to see a chinese film in over ten years and he loved. He said he hadnt enjoyed a film so much in ages. He was glad I talked him into going.. My other friend has just got back from China a few days ago and she had wanted to see it while she was there but didnt have time. She was pleasantly suprised when I told her it was on in China Town and we saw it together yesterday >_<

Its a great movie both times I enjoyed it so much and im looking forward to getting it on DVD. I am a fan of Stephen Chow, and of course both times I watched it I started jabing my friends with my elbow near the end when you have the obligatory bare chest shot.. *dies* yes im fangirl i'll admit it

I went and saw it the first time about a week after it opened in sydney and there was still a queue to get in to the cinema to see it.

Suprisingly I was the only westerner there to see it both times.

Anyway both times I saw the movie with different people they were telling me in places what was being said as it was different to the english subtitles..

Is it common that the subtitles (english) will be very different to what is actually being said?

On a side note I was suprised and disapointed by the attitude of a staff member at Market City Cinema in sydney.

when I was leaving the cinema, I went to get my parking ticket stamped so I could get free parking the girl was like you watched Kung Fu Hustle?? omg could you follow it were the subitiles ok etc..

my friends answered before I could heheh

*hugs her friends for sticking up for her*

They were suprised at the girls attitude as well because it was a bit rude.

[skylee]

In Sydney, wow. I've also seen it twice, and still like it a lot.

Re the subtitles. IIRC the landlady is called Helen (of Troy reference), right (and probably the landlord would be Paris but I don't remember)? Her Chinese name (Little Dragon Lady literally) is actually that of a character (beautiful Kungfu master of course) in a famous Chinese Kungfu novel written by Louis Cha. I think such translation is aimed to help western audience better understand the film. I guess "Little Dragon Lady" would mean very little to western audience, no?

[Becki]

Yes you are right about the references,

But I guess if you are there with chinese friends as I was they were happy to explain some of the things that they thought should have been translated differently.

I guess im one of the weird ppl that would rather have a faithful translation of somthing, even if I dont get something >_<

I prefer to read subtitles to having a movie dubbed where as all my western friends hate reading subtitles .. although i think its because they can not read fast enough. I glance at the subtitles very breifly, and by the end of the movie i dont even realise im reading them.

just want to add on a different note that this cinema is also getting House of Flying Dagger. Which ive allready seen/own but to see it on the big screen will be wonderful.

[Cyberian]

I am a Chow Sing Chi fan. But this movie was a disapointment to me. Because...

Anyone cares about my opinion, please read, if you don't. Please ignore me.

Looks like:

Roadrunner and Wile Coyote of Warner Brothers. The locomotor running part, and the Landlady flying to the giant board.

+

Neo vs the Mr. Smith legion of Matrix 2

+

Typicial cartoon features of dropping pot onto head with flower stuck on head or falling off and hitting trash cans and the cat cries 'MMEEEOOOOOOOOOWwWWWWWWW!!!!!!"

+

Overuse of computer graphics. What happened to the good old days of using stunts?

+

Extreme dark fighting scene of the lyre-playing fighters. Okay, I understand that it is suppose to be dark at night, but they have to factor in that this is suppose to be viewed by people. They can make the movie with people flying up the clouds, leaping on eagles, turning into human-comet, but not tune the light a little lighter? Plus, it was very dark in the theater!

+

As I said, above, cheesy scene of the final attack leaping onto the eagle, and picture of a religious figure appears.

+

Unnecassary religious scenes. For you paranoids, I am not bashing religion, it is just that it was not necessary. The figure showing up the clouds, the yin-yang, the sticks in the cylinder. If they are going to throw these things into the movie, they should make it play more of a role.

+

Villian change of heart: Kills countless number of people in this time. Kicks the gang leader and his head almost twists off. But sucks up to 'The One'.

+

Lousy love scene at the end. If they are going to add in love scene, at least make it tie into the story and half-decent like in Delivery on Love or A Chinese Odyssey.

=

Kung Fu Hustle

Chow's role was so small. His main role was posing as a gangster, and final part.

The comedy in the movie is as bad as King of Comedy's or The Tricky Master's. People in the theater did not even laugh much. The only scene I found funny was the knives and snakes. Which the movie failed to explain why the first two knives stabbed him.

Aside from the knives and snakes scene. The other good scenes I found was the flashback to childhood, and how they met again during the robbery.

Retirement is near. Hopefully, his next film will be more impressive. And have his buddy back in too!

*puts on construction hard hat*

Respect opinions.

[skylee]

Which the movie failed to explain why the first two knives stabbed him.

I am surprised.

And of course it is very dark in the theatre. And I am glad that people care to go to cinemas to see the film (instead of getting pirated copy of the film).

But many people don't like this film. It is like many people like the King of Comedy but I don't (except the pretty face of Cecilia Cheung). No big deal.

[Becki]

The reasons the first two knives stabbed him is because he was playing an incompetent fool and if you had watched you would see when he went to throw the knives the bounced off the archway because the aim was wrong and flipped back into his arm.

I didn't find the few religious scenes unnecessary maybe you are overly sensitive to this for some reason.

The cinema both times I saw the film was filled with people laughing their heads off. I don't know how 2 cinemas full of people could be wrong .. maybe Australians and Asians living in Australia have no taste.

Yes it was corny and cheesy but that's what made it so funny.

*shrugs*

[Ian_Lee]

I am very surprised to hear that the movie is already released in Australia and in its Chinatown theaters only.

Sony Classics won't release the movie in US until March. And it is expected to be a limited wide release nationwide (around 1,700 screens).

In the meantime, "Kung Fu Hustle" is continuing to score big in Japan (Japanese title: カンフーハッスル). From 12/31 (early release in some cinemas) to 1/7, merely in one week it took in 660 million Yen from the Box Office:

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200501/gt2005010907.html

And over the weekend it took in another US$1.9 million in Japan:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117916016?categoryid=13&cs=1

In Japanese standard, its Box Office Record is quite amazing. And it finally is expected to gross 3 Billion Yen:

http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/geinou/cinema/news/20050104spn00m200002000c.html

(Even the popular animated picture "Howl's Moving Castle" grossed only US$30 million after 5 weeks' release).

Interestingly most screens only show the Cantonese with Japanese subtitle versions and only a few show the dubbed in Japanese versions:

http://www.japantimes.com/movie-new.htm

For the viewers who only know English and Mandarin in Japan, they must regret that they will miss the fun

[Becki]

I think it would do even better in Australia if it received someadvertising in the english speaking press.

I am sure I saw someone where that it has been advertyised in thre chinese newspapers in sydney.

Maybe later they will release it in more cinemas than just the Chinatown ones but I somehow doubt it and so a whole load of people that would probably go to see the film will instead miss out.

[skylee]

Oh they call him チャウ・シンチー, not Stephen Chow. This is nice.

[Ian_Lee]

Even though "Kung Fu Hustle" is just a comedy, the music edited in the movie got as much preparation work as "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" that hired famous musician Tan Dun.

The music in "Kung Fu Hustle" included songs like:

Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas

东海渔歌

十面埋伏

闯将令

四川将军令

小刀会组曲

英雄们战胜了大渡河

[skylee]

試聽《功夫》原聲大碟 -> http://www.zhouxingchi.cn/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=519

[geek_frappa]

my favourite part of the movie was the end just after Beast's defeat.

i don't want to spoil it, but it was very touching.

the couple "Paris" and "Helen of Troy" are kinda cute, too. hehe..

pretty good flick to see early at only $25HKD.

....... *sigh* something about this movie made me think about anita mui for a few minutes... i think it was the landlord's wife or the drunken boxing part that reminded me about "drunken master II".. hmm... i'm getting old. my mind is fading...

[Ian_Lee]

"Kung Fu Hustle" tops South Korea's Box Office two weeks on a row and beats imported Hollywood blockbuster movies "Ocean's Twelve" and "Shark's Tale" that debutted at the same time:

http://chinese.chosun.com/big5/site/data/html_dir/2005/01/25/20050125000006.html

and

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200501/200501210014.html

[Ian_Lee]

I finally got the DVD and watched it twice over the weekend.

I watched the Cantonese version (but actually there are still a lot of Mandarin dialogs).

I read many film reviews which some said that the story took place in Guangzhou while some said in Shanghai.

But actually where was it supposed to take place?

According to the composition of the residents in Pig Sty Alley, some are Mandarin speaking and some are Cantonese speaking. But in the slum of pre-'49 Guangzhou, hardly could there be so many non-Cantonese and in the slum of pre-'49 Shanghai, it was also unlikely could there be so many Cantonese dwellers.

[skylee]

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

Best Foreign Film

Kung Fu Hustle

Runner Up

2046

But actually the more exciting news is that "Brokeback Mountain" has got yet another best film award, and Ang Lee another best director award. I am very eager to see this film.

[Lu]

But actually where was it supposed to take place?

Doesn't really matter, I think. Some fantasy city resembling Shanghai and Hongkong. It's not like anything like that movie ever happened in either city.

[pookie]

Is there anyone who didn't like this film? I'm shocked so many like it. I thought it was aweful. It wasn't funny. The characters were unbelievable. The martial arts was over done. I know it's supposed to be a comedy but where was the comedy? Now Jackie Chan - that's real Kung Fu comedy.

[stephanhodges]

The movie was full of visual, plot line and dialog allusions to other movies, many of them also from the 30's. The martial arts was deliberately "over the top", as some of the director interviews also discussed (on the DVD version anyways).

Some of the humor stems from the above. Also, the timing and placement of the dialog one liners added a lot of irony and humor from the deliberate "misplacement" and "misuse".

I've studied a lot of martial arts, and I found the movie quite funny in that regard as well, since it was obvious that they were poking fun at other martial arts movies with some of the "over the top" styles. Of course, it wasn't actually a movie to "learn" martial arts from...

I thought that the writing was very good for this film. Much more intellectual than many of the genre.

Hope the above helps, by explaining some of my sources of humor in the movie.

[pookie]

Thanks. I understand there is rationale behind it. I just don't see it