Kung Fu Hustle

Since I set my eyes on a featurette of Kung Fu Hustle in Fuji TV Building, I have been wanting to catch Stephen Chow in his latest madcap adventure.

When I caught it yesterday, it met all my expectations and more.

I haven't laughed so hard for such a long time.

Apart from the jokes, the spoofs and the gags, I think it is a film that speaks to me about the state of our times.

(Probably reading too much into it huh?)

If there is a single word that summarizes the film, I would say it's a film about bullies.

The film started with a Big Bully pushing his way around in a police station. Then this Big Bully gets into trouble with a Big Bully Gang. At Pig Sty Alley, we have the Big Bully Landlady bossing her way around. Even Stephen Chow tried very unsuccessfully to be a Big Bully Conman. There's a pivotal scene where we found out that Stephen Chow was harassed by Big Bullies Schoolboys in his past, not to mention conned by Dirty Monk. In the present, Stephen Chow and Fat Buddy is assaulted by Big Bully Four-Eyes. And then head of Big Bully Gang gets walloped (love this word!) by Big Bully Assassin.

Get the idea?

In the real world, there's a lot of people who are fed up with the US of A. They may not see her as the Great Satan, but certainly as the "Great Bully". Her sworn enemies, the Terrorists, strive on fear and terror and on a very base level, are certainly Big Bullies of the most heinous nature.

With bullies, there is a sense of being overwhelmed by a great force as well as complete helplessness. Asia is certainly feeling these emotions now as we deal with the devastation of Sunday's earthquake.