Kung Fu Hustle

I've seen a couple of Kung Fu movies in my day and I guess I didn't really know all that much about them until our class on Thursday. I like that these kung fu movies are built upon the Wu Xia stories about heroism or noble action. It's obvious that in most of the stories an underdog comes from the pack and saves the day through some heroic act. I like that this movie didn't stray too far from that, but it definitely had a different twist with the elements of post modernism in it.

I really enjoyed all of the different references throughout the film. The conglomerate of different genres, films, and actors definitely made this kung fu movie into something a little off the mark of what is normally expected. I loved the rush of blood in the insane asylum, straight out of The Shining. The Road Runner reference when the Land Lady was chasing the "Chosen One" was also great. There was also a little more Looney Tunes in there with the huge throbbing lips. The movie also references The Blues Brothers, Westside Story, Gangs of New York, The Matrix, and Roger Rabbit.

Post Modernism in film is all about creating something deliberately unoriginal that is made up entirely of references. This isn't meant to increase the depth of the movie, in fact Kung Fu Hustle didn't have much depth at all, it only increases the entertainment value of what you're watching. There isn't really a lesson to learn at the end of the movie, it's just a matter of if you've been entertained and understood all of the references of other references throughout the entire movie.

Despite all of the Post Modern moments in the film it did still stay true to certain elements of Kung Fu. My number one favorite Kung Fu movie is Drunken Master and that movie certainly has a man with a certain style of Kung Fu. Throughout Kung Fu Hustle we saw people with a certain style too. The Landlord's movements were like liquid, so fluid and laid back that he could've been sleeping while fighting. His wife had her trademark lion roar. The three original masters in the slum also had their own unique style. The tailor packed a mean punch, the young guy could kick like crazy, and the older man was really good with sticks. Then we get the ultimate Kung Fu master and he hops around like a toad. It was neat to see everyone using their own unique style.

I really enjoyed all of the martial art elements in this movie too. I think that style of fighting is so interesting to watch and extremely entertaining. Class on Thursday definitely cleared up a few things for me when it came to the origins of martial arts. I knew that developing breathing, or your Chi, was an important aspect of martial arts, but I wasn't so aware about the sense of inner strength that's necessary to be good at martial arts. Being centered, calm, and aware is extremely important. Buddhism being rooted in the art of compassion wasn't something I was aware of either. The idea of your opponent being a part of the same energy as you and using the energy around you to redirect their energy was pretty cool.

Overall I really enjoyed this movie, the Post Modern elements made it super entertaining, along with the cool martial arts moves. I think it was a good balance of different genres and the original Kung Fu. It kept my eyes glued to the screen and I really had fun watching it.