Kung Fu

In 2004, Hong Kong cinema hit another wall of failure. After successful movies like Running on Karma, Infernal Affairs, and Shaolin Soccer, there were no good movies out for a long time. The entire Hong Kong film industry was covered with crappy quick-cash comedies and the highest gross movie that year gross only $25 million dollars. Then everything changed in only a week. When Kung Fu came out in Hong Kong, everything was back. The interest level toward Hong Kong cinema was back, the money started to roll in really really really fast, and the love of movies bloomed again. So what is the secret to this movie's mega success? Well let's find out...

Kung Fu starts Stephen Chow and his quest to be in power after living life as a bum for so many years. When he got tangled up with the Axe Gang, things started to get a little crazy as he meet a village full of martial arts masters and discover his own Kung Fu talents.

I think the biggest reason on why this movie was so successful comes in two words: Stephen Chow. You could put any big Asian stars in the starting role and you would not get 1/4 of the success that it has accumulated. The Asian film market knows Stephen Chow and they know that every single one of his movies are great fun to watch and would not be embarrass to admit watching. Therefore, when a new Stephen Chow movie comes out, it is not just a film for action fans or horror fans or comedy fans, it is a movie for everyone. With such a universally appealing movie, it is hard not to see why this movie was so triumphant over anything else in Hong Kong.

However, the audience is only one part of the story, the other is the production, and thankfully, the production value of this movie is as up to par as anyone could as for. Stephen Chow's theme of Kung Fu is such a simple gimmick and also a stroke of genius. Kung Fu has been a part of Chinese cinema as the dawn days of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and all Stephen Chow did was put another layer of icing over the cake and it becomes something so fresh. His mix of computer graphics and slapstick humors coincide perfectly in Chow's world. Yes the movie is over-the-top, but there is never a point in the movie where the audience cannot relate to the screen.

No matter what walks of life you are in, there will surely be something that you will like in Kung Fu.

Year: 2004
Director: Stephen Chow

9.1/10