Hustle Your Bustle
What does that mean? I'm not really sure. My mom used to say it to me when we were younger and she was trying to get us (the boys) to hurry up. But it's the wrong kind of hustle for this movie's title. It's hustle as in the kind of deception that helps you win big in a game of poker and may possibly get you shot (in the olden days). It's pretending to be innocent/naive and then when you reveal your true talents/abilities, you go for the win. "There is something you should know...I am not left handed."

Kung Fu Hustle (directed by Steven Chow) is about Pig Sty Alley and it's band of extremely skilled kung fu masters trying desperately to just live a normal life w/o fighting or wars or trouble. But hey this is a kung fu movie so you know that will only last about 10 min. The movie opens with the introduction of the dominating group of bad guys known as the Axe Gang. This gang controls everything except of course for the poorest of communities because the gang lacks any interest in people they can get nothing from. So Pig Sty Alley remains virtually untainted from the grip of the Axe Gang until one day.... I'll let you finish out the story on your own, but truth be told, this is where the movie goes all kung fu on you. But it isn't just fighting:

Comedy - This movie is filled with it. Everything from parody to slapstick. I really liked this aspect of the movie. If you are a fan of Jackie Chan movies, you'll notice that there is a good deal of non-verbal comedy. The difference being that in KFH, the non-verbal comedy is not quite as subtle. There are places that the non-verbal is silly and over the top. You feel as if you are watching cartoon characters like Tom and Jerry (more like Itchy and Scratchy) pound each other to a pulp and remained generally unharmed. There is also some well placed, well timed funny moments. Just when the movie seems to take a serious turn, there is a moment of comedy snuck in. Also there is a good deal of parody, although I'm not sure I picked up on all of it. Oddly enough, some is parody on American films (such as the famous elevator scene from The Shining). As it goes with these kinds of movies, you'll enjoy picking out the scenes that purposefully mimic scenes or concepts from other popular movies.

Story - You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll root for the good guys all the way through. Although the story isn't something you'll be pondering for days, it does offer a decent flow between the fighting scenes. If there is one thing that is consistently weak about kung fu movies, it is the story line. I often find myself just wanting to fast forward to the action. The comedy helps, but there is also a decent story to go along with it. It's no Crouching Tiger, but you won't find yourself getting bored. Fortunately, it maintains some of the staples of kung fu story line basics...such as the humble, reluctant kung fu masters who only fight when it is necessary...some kind of discussion about the special type or form of martial arts that a particular fighter is trained in...and flashbacks (gotta love flashbacks). And of course, someone (usually a lesser skilled fighter) dies and his/her death must be avenged...happens every time.

Fighting - Do not be deceived by the previews. This is not a stylistic kung fu movie with a lot of choreographed dancing. The beginning has some cool dancing, but it is only in the beginning and doesn't do anything to advance the plot or characters. It's just there. The fighting in this movie is cool if you don't mind special effects. And I mean lots of special effects. This movie reminds me of watching Japanese anime just like Dragonball Z (only without the flying and insane fireballs). I'm talking about that over the top unrealistic fighting with characters that can take hits that would be enough to level a building. You definitely have to use your imagination with this one, but have fun. The movie uses a lot of CGI, but it's done well and it's so over the top that you won't mind much when it gets that cartoony look like it sometimes does. It certainly is kung fu on steroids and downright silly in some places, but it works well and is a nice change of pace for this genre. Mostly because it doesn't take itself too seriously (like House Of The Flying Daggers).

Acting - In kung fu movies, the acting is really only as good as the fighting. If the fighting is good to see, then the acting is right on. Since the movie is in Cantonese (or Mandarin; I'm not sure) acting quality is tough to determine by the dialogue. You'll spend time looking at the subtitles rather than the expressions of the character. However, there is not a whole lot of dialogue compared to nonverbal comedy and action, so you won't feel like you are missing the movie while you are reading the text. Like I said before, this is a kung fu movie so you should not really be expecting more than that in terms of the acting.

Overall - What else can I say? This movie has action/fighting, drama, romance, comedy and much more. It has a little something for everyone...over the age of 17 that is. As this movie is rated R, you might be careful about seeing it. The rating is for the stylized action scenes, violence, some language, and some dirty jokes/situations. Not nearly as profane as the majority of PG-13 comedies out there, but the violence clearly earns this movie it's rating. I would recommend this movie for guys, or girls who like guy(ish) movies. If you like kung fu movies, you'll enjoy and if you don't like them that much or haven't seen too many, this would be a good one to try/cut your teeth on. Kung Fu Hustle is an offbeat movie that can be enjoyed by fans of the genre and people looking for a good laugh at the expense of talented stunt artists and CG animation.

I give this movie 3 out of 5 tpacs. (+1 bonus point for comedic relief)