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Frequently the cinema world frowns upon slapstick, as it is a simple and unintelligent form of comedy. However, Stephen Chow utilizes this variety of comic approach in his Kung Fu Hustle (known as Gong Fu in Asia) to perfection. Slapstick finally finds its true purpose besides smashing pots and pans on top of people’s heads, or pulling away chairs from seating people. Chow takes it one-step further by inventing the new Shaolin Kung Fu style Slapstick, which willfully and intentionally beats up the audience with bellyaching laughter. ***

“In a time of social unrest and disorder the gangs run amuck”, is the opening description in regards to when the film takes place. However, it is never clear exactly when, as periodically it feels mostly like the 1930s with moments from other time periods that are cleverly incorporated into the film. The magic of cinema will remove the obstacle of time through Chow’s creative fantasy approach and deliver a timeless journey into the small Pig Sty Alley where the story’s heroes and crooks will converge in an epic comic battle of the kung fu fists and kicks. ***

The Ax Gang rules the city while the police eagerly count their bribes. The only ones that are an exception to corruption are the most unfortunate who reside in the poverty-stricken areas. One of these areas is the Pig Sty Alley where this story unfolds when Sing (Stephen Chow) and his cheerful follower Bone (Lam Tze Chung) deceptively enters under the fake identity as Ax Gang members. Sing’s fraudulent plan backfires when the inhabitants of the Pig Sty Alley decide to oppose them, which pulls the real Ax Gang into the poor neighborhood as well. Fortunately for the inhabitants of the Pig Sty Alley some very skilled kung fu masters have withdrawn from public attention into this poor neighborhood. Thus, when the Ax Gang arrives, they are in for a surprise that will rock the corrupt society. ***

The action is plentiful in Kung Fu Hustle to which some film critics has uttered dislike, but it is in the large amount of kung fu where the audience will discover an unpolished gem. With the help of wire-fu, special effects and hilarious dialogues laughter will go through all its different gradients from muffled chuckles to full out laughing explosions. It is within these fight scenes where the audience will uncover the crude jewel that ultimately will deliver a true cinematic gem through the admirable story line. ***

Stephen Chow’s story resembles a lot with René Goscinny’s and Albert Uderzo’s comic book Astérix where one small village resists the whole Roman Empire. The difference in Chow’s film is mostly cultural, but it also has his own comic martial art touch to it. There are also many spoofs on scenes from other films such as Matrix and some Spaghetti Westerns. On top of the parody, Chow gives a full out slapstick assault to the kung fu genre that had its profound emergence in the 1970s. Regardless of Kung Fu Hustle’s similarities to other stories, Chow achieves an extraordinary film that delivers valuable messages such as forgiveness, honor, and love in the backdrop of a heavy dose of humor. ***

The Kung Fu Hustle DVD has received a very good transfer, as the limited, but present, edge enhancement is barely noticeable. Some grain is visible, but this is due to the film stock used to shoot the film and not digital issues. The colors fill out the screen well and the black levels are also of first class. ***

The sound offers everything from clear dialogue to smashing action sounds during its many and frequent kung fu scenes. The DVD delivers a well-balanced sound fitting the exaggerated theme of the story, which smoothly flows through all five speakers. The subwoofer adds the extra texture to the sound during the fight scenes where thuds and bumps are many. There are no audible blemishes present throughout the whole film, which enhances the experience of this kung fu film. *** ---

The DVD has a fair amount of extras for those who are interested. The only thing that could also have been incorporated into the extras would be a feature on wire fu. Nonetheless, the film is reason enough to purchase the DVD, and not all the extras. The extras are listed in following order: ***

TV Special – Behind the Scenes of Kung Fu Hustle: Through the hosts Lam Tze Chung and Chan Kwok Kwan the audience is introduced to the film Kung Fu Hustle. Here Stephen Chow offers his introduction to kung fu and his motivation to make the film. There are also several of the cast members and filmmakers freely talking about the story and characters in the film. For example, one of the filmmakers reveals that the name Pig Sty Alley was taken from a Hong Kong TV series. In between scenes from the set and from the film are sporadically integrated into this 40-some minute long feature. ***

Deleted Scenes: There are two deleted scenes Pig Sty Community Meeting and Meeting Brother Sum. These two scenes are interesting in their own way, but do not offer anything new in regards to ideas. It is understandable why these scenes were left at the editing table. ***

Previews: Here the audience can find previews from several brilliant films such as 3-Iron by Ki-duk Kim and Kar Wai Wong’s recent film 2046. There are also previews for Kung Fu Hustle, Layer Cake, and Stripes among others. ***

Ric Meyers Interviews with Stephen Chow: The interview was intended for this DVD and is set in an environment where what is said is the only thing that draws the attention. Meyers freely questions Chow about his background in film and why he wanted to make a kung fu film. The audience must really pay attention to hear what Chow says, as he has a heavy accent when he talks. Nonetheless, he is very open and informative in his answers in this half hour interview. ***

Outtakes & Bloopers: This almost five-minute extra shows some mistakes that the actors did with the wires or their problems with lines. For a comedy of this magnitude there are very few good bloopers, if any at all that could measure up with the actual film humor. ***

TV Spots: There are a staggering number of 15 TV spots that the audience could experience, which tries to sell the viewers that this is a funny, hilarious, and amusing kung fu film. And all of the TV spots are correct. ***

International Poster Exploration Gallery: In this is a section where the viewer could look through 16 posters for Kung Fu Hustle. The title of the extra suggests that it is an international poster exploration, however it fails to provide any posters with its original title Gong Fu. ***