Kung Fu Hustle: Sing (Stephen Chow), seeking to transcend his timid nature and achieve greatness, attempts to join a 1940s-era criminal gang in Shanghai. Through much pain and failure, he ultimately discovers his true inner self.

The film is a superb achievement in comedy and special effects, referencing, one way or another, dozens of movies and animated features from the past. Looney Tunes takes a central position in the film, along with The Karate Kid, The Shining, Gone with the Wind, The Blues Brothers, The Godfather, The Hulk, countless martial arts movies, and the final scene tips its hat to The Matrix Reloaded with the zillion Agent Smiths attacking Neo-ahh-Sing.

James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy series and the upcoming 2025 Superman release, told Allie Capp in 2021, “Although I can, on occasion, be prone to hyperbole, I say without it here: Kung Fu Hustle is the greatest film ever made.”

Genre: Action–Comedy–Crime—Fantasy–Martial Arts

Directed by: Stephen Chow

Screenplay by: Stephen Chow, Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, Tsang Kan-cheung

Music by: Raymond Wong

Cast: Stephen Chan, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Eva Huang, Leung Siu-lung

Film Location: Shanghai, China

ElsBob: 8.0/10

IMDb: 7.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 91%

Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter: 89%

Metacritic Metascore: 78%

Metacritic User Score: 8.1/10

Theaters: 23 December 2004

Runtime: 98 minutes  

Budget: $20 million

Box Office: $104.9 million

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic. Capps Allie Capp, WGTC, 2021.Graphic: Kung Fu Hustle Trailer, 2004, copyright Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures.