Kung Fu Hustle

Kung Fu Hustle (功夫; lit. 'Kung Fu'), also known in some countries as Kung Fusion, is a 2004 action-comedy film directed, produced, co-written, and starring Stephen Chow. It is a co-production between companies from Hong Kong and Mainland China, and was filmed in Shanghai.

Plot
In 1940s China, Sing and Bone are two aspiring gangster's who want to join the dreaded Axe Gang. One day they enter the poor village of Pig Sty Alley pretending to be members of the Axe Gang to extort money from the locals, but their plan backfires when after shooting a flare they end up attracting the real Axe Gang. The gang subdues the locals but are defeated by three locals who reveal that they were kung fu masters. The gang leaves the village, but the village landlady decides to expel the kung fu masters to avoid retaliation from the gang.

The Axe Gang capture Sing and Bone to kill them, but the gang's leader, Brother Sum, decides to spare their lives due to Sing's ability to pick locks, and allows them to join the gang on the condition that they kill tosomeone. Sing laments that his life is a failure, and recalls how as a child a homeless man gives him a martial arts pamphlet with which he tries to defend a mute girl from some bullies, but is humiliated. Sing and Bone return to the village to try to kill the landlady, but their plan fails again. Brother Sum decides to hire two assassins who use a magical guzheng to kill the kung fu masters, which they succeed in doing but are defeated by the landlady and her husband, who reveal that they are also kung fu masters.

Frustrated, Sing attempts to rob an ice cream vendor, but discovers that she is actually the mute girl he had tried to protect as a child. When she recognizes him and offers him a lollipop, he breaks it and leaves in shame, while he also abandons Bone. Brother Sun orders Sing to free a legendary kung fu assassin nicknamed "The Beast" from a mental asylum. Sing brings The Beast to the Axe Gang headquarters, but they discover the presence of the landlady and her husband, who start a battle against The Beast that ends up destroying the place. Sing is knocked unconscious by The Beast, so the landlady and her husband decide to take him to Pig Sty Alley to recover, but The Beast finds them. Suddenly, Sing wakes up and quickly regenerates, to which the pair deduces that the Beast's beating of Sing has realigned Sing's qi, metamorphosing him into a natural kung fu master. Sing quickly defeats the Axe Gang and engages in an epic fight against The Beast in which Sing emerges victorious. Later Sing is reunited with Bone and they will open a candy store where he is reunited with the mute girl, hugging.

Why It's a Kung Fu Master

 * 1) The story is well constructed and entertains the viewer. The idea of a aspiring gangster who transforms into a kung fu master is quite original and creative.
 * 2) Great sympathetic and memorable characters.
 * 3) The movie makes good use of comedy and has several funny and hilarious moments, like the chase scene between Sing and the Landlady of Pigsty Alley.
 * 4) Good understanding of Kung Fu and martial arts.
 * 5) The action sequences are impressive and strike a good balance between comedy and seriousness, with very well done fight scenes.
 * 6) The choreographies are impressive and striking, especially in the scenes where the Axe Gang appears.
 * 7) Epic soundtrack composed by Raymond Wong.
 * 8) The cinematography is spectacular.
 * 9) The Axe Gang outfits are quite flashy and memorable.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Bone disappears during the second half of the film only to reappear at the end, becoming a wasted character.
 * 2) The visual effects can look quite fake or dated, though considering this is a comedy it's most likely on purpose.

Trivia

 * 1) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne have said that this film served as a great inspiration for creating Kung Fu Panda.