Blog of Leonid Mamchenkov

“Kung Fu Hustle” is one of the best martial arts movies I’ve ever seen. Ever.

Directed by: Stephen Chow
Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime
Cast: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen, Kwok Kuen Chan, Hsiao Liang, Zhi Hua Dong, Chiu Chi Ling, Yu Xing, Chi Chung Lam, Kai Man Tin, Kang Xi Jia, Hak On Fung, Xiaogang Feng, Sheng Yi Huang, Cheung-Yan Yuen
IMDB raintg: 7.9
My rating: 9.0

I’ve always been a fan of Chinese martial arts movies. At some time they started lagging behind the rest of the cinematography development, but they are catching up now pertty good. I’ve seen few movies now where traditional kung fu martial arts are mixed excellently with computer graphics to create breath-taking actions with excellent choreography.

“Kung Fu Hustle” is one of the film of the new era. It has amazing martial arts with brilliant computer graphics. Computer graphics are of two kinds here - those that are barely noticable and those which explicit. I liked how harmoneously all of that was tied in.

There is also a change in story selections. Traditionally Chinese martial arts movies had as simple a story as possible. Recent movies, on the other hand, rely more and more on the rich Chinese heritage with all the myths and fairy tales. “Kung Fu Hustle” is one of them.

Another change for the good is acting. It is improving constantly. Character development gets better. People are distinct, each with his own personality.

And the music. Music is mixed also - traditional Chinese notes with familiar bits of Western civilization such as rock and country.

All of these raise Chinese martial arts films to a new level. Broader audience can enjoy them now than ever before. And I strongly suggest you start watching them too. Fun. Lots of fun and authenticity.