Sunday, May 08, 2005

Kung Fu Hustle

So I finally broke my no-movie spell and saw this looney-tuned cgi/martial arts extravaganza Kung Fu Hustle. There's probably one (OK, two) too many setpieces and the whole crazy thing is entirely disposable. But, that said, it was good specific fun while it lasted. Stephen Chow who wrote, directed, and starred in this is quite the multi-tasker isn't he? Chow looks really good without his shirt off too. Not that that has anything to do with the quality of any movie (he hastens to add, blushing!)

KFH is better, funnier, and glossier than Ong Bak:Thai Warrior which is the last martial arts picture I wrote about herein. They'll make an interesting double feature on DVD later this year. But quality aside...when it comes to these two productions, I think I prefer the no-wire low-fi approach to action. And rippling Tony Jaa tips the scales even further toward OB:TWeven though it isn't much of a film overall. Still, imagine you're a filmmaker and you're CGI crazy. If you're smart like Stephen Chow, you'll put it to good use. It's a fine tool for surreal mayhem.

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