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Kung Pow! Enter the Fist

Kung Pow! Enter the Fist

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Painful.
Review: Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (Steve Oedekerk, 2002)

Good lord, what an awful movie this is. I expected it to be bad, but I wasn't expecting ninety minutes of Kung Faux with addictions actors and scenes.

If you've never seen Fuse's show Kung Faux (or this movie), the basic idea is this: take old martial arts movies. Add in your own dialogue. Hilarity ensues. Well, okay, in very small doses. A full episode of Kung Faux is usually too much. Ninety minutes... ugh.

It did, however, make me want to see the original film used (Tiger and Crane Fist), simply to find out if the original is as bad as Kung Pow.

A * ½, because there are a few one-liners and sight gags that are worth a chuckle. At the end, though, you're likely to be wondering why you just wasted an hour and a half of your life when you could have been doing something more productive; for example, covering yourself with honey and tying yourself to a nest of fire ants.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 80 minutes of almost-continuous laughter.
Review: There's not much I can say about writer-director Steve Oedekerk's "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist," a spoof on the kung-fu movies of an era gone by that contains jokes, gags, and humor ranging from chuckle-inducing to all-stops-outs belly laughs. As a humorous play on a overly cheesy film genre that only gets goofier with age, the film follows all the necessary rules; the good news is that unlike such a film as, say, "Scary Movie," you don't necessarily have to be acquainted with movies of this sort to appreciate Oedekerk's brand of humor.

Using the elements of the digital age to insert himself as a character in the 1976 Hong Kong film "Tiger and Crane Fist," Oedekerk plays The Chosen One, whose family life was stripped from him in his infant years at the hands of Master Pain, who, in the present, adopts the name "Betty." Chosen One returns after many years, bent on exacting revenge against Betty.

A pretty lame setup, considering the fact that it was the plot of an actual film. What Oedekerk has done is removed the film's main hero and placed himself and various new characters into the film, all the while providing the replacement voices in the redubbiing process.

All of this is corny and cheesy, to be sure, but what is most surprising about the movie is how funny it can actually be if you can get into it. The spoofs of "The Matrix" and "The Lion King" aren't exactly fresh, but they still manage a good deal of hearty chuckles. The bigs laughs come from the Oedekerk's voicing of his character's lady-love, who spends much of her time running around yelling "wee-ohh;" the narration of the story, at times, provides humorous commentary on the present situation, and was I the only one who got a kick out of the tongue gag?

What's most enjoyable about a movie like "Kung Pow" is that its dialogue fits right in with the body language and movements of its characters; at one point, a highly-revered master breaks into a coughing fit during the middle of a discussion. Oedekerk's solution? Insert a fly that will enter his mouth. This, and many of the movie's sight and sound gags, are cheap in their construction and execution, but still manage to provide one with a well-spent 80 minutes of almost-continuous laughter. Wee-ooh!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the funniest
Review: Kung Pow is one of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen. I've seen it more than 15 times, and I still laugh out loud every time I see it. This movie uses footage from an old 1970's Kung Fu movie and splices it together with some new footage made specially for this movie. This mishmash is then dubbed with cheesy sounding voices. It's a completely nonsensical and silly movie. You won't be able to resist laughing. Perhaps the most famous scene in this movie is when the hero happens to find a cow and this cow jumps up and challenges him to a fight. There is even milk shooting out like the bullets in The Matrix. If you have a craving for a goofy movie, this is my top recommendation. If you don't like goofy movies, then avoid it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Incredibly sutpid, and incredibly hilarious
Review: First of all this isn't a good movie, in the whole 80-min. span of it there is no real plot, nothing asmirable about the filming, nor one witty joke, but that doesn't mean I didn't have a good time. Steve Oedekerk has concocted some of the most idiotic stuff ever to be filmed (Ace Ventura, the Thumb series, Jimmy Neutron) but this reigns over all those things. Kung Pow is cross between Modern footage of Oedekerk and a select few othe "actors", and footage from an old Chinese kung-fu movie called "Tiger and Crane fists", blended in with each other. Oedekerk has muted the dialogue spoken by the Chinese actors of the original movie and dubbed in his own voice, or maybe I should voices, (he plays several ridiculous characters.
As far as the plot goes basically an evil Chinese uh.. guy named Master Pain (later he calls himself Betty) has killed an entire Japanese family looking for a member of it called the Chosen One, who is the infant of the family. After a stupid and not-so-funny sequence of the baby kicking his ass they flee, and the baby winds up on his own. He travels and grows up and fights people on the way, all in search of the man who killed his family. He goes to a weird old man named Master Tang to train him and help him find Master Pain. He finds him, there are many pointless scenes following- inclding one spoofing the Lion King, and then a big battle between the Chosen One and Betty. Using his sacred gift (a tongue with a face on it) the Chosen One defeats Betty and that is the end of that. Stupid yes, but I promise that if your not a real tight-wad, you'll be amused by this movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Funny, Silly, and Refreshingly Stupid Movie
Review: If you enjoy movies like "Airplane" or "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", which is to say movies that are funny in large part because of how stupid they are, you will really enjoy "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist."

His family killed as a child, the "Chosen One" (Steve Oedekerk) wanders in search of enlightenment and revenge against his nemesis, the evil Master Pain (who inexplicably changes his name to "Betty" early on).

The movie usues some clever digital manipulation to insert Oedekerk into a 1970s martial arts film; the dialogue track of which is replaced with amusing commentary and ridiculous dialogue -- a sort of "Bruce Lee meets Mystery Science Theater 3000".

Original footage, including a remarkable and absurd fight between the Chosen One and a cow ("milk shooting out of an udder in Matrix-like "bullet time" slow mo), and a confrontation with the aliens from the Evil Council (Evil Betty's masters) is mixed in in not-so-seamless fashion in order to heighten the story's absurdity.

The movie is very funny -- the numerous little jokes and double takes will make you laugh out loud. It is well on its way to becoming a cult classic . . .

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: So Bad It's Good!
Review: Kung-Pow has got to be the stupidest movie I've ever seen.

That doesn't mean it isn't funny, though. I spent most of the 80-something minutes laughing, so how bad could it have been..?

Writer/Director Steve Oedekerk stars as "The Chosen One" (raised in a ditch by "Various Rodents..), chosen for WHAT we never learn. We Do know that the mark of The Chosen One is a bizarre face that sits on the tip of his tongue, and the the evil Master Pain, A.K.A. "Betty", wants him dead. That's pretty much it, plot-wise. The really amazing part of the movie is this: It's an old Hong-Kong action movie, with Oedekerk digitally inserted; kind of a Zelig/What's Up Tiger Lilly?/Forrest Gump mish-mash. (Stick around for the credits and you'll see scenes from the original, and see how they put Oedekerk into the action.)

The BIG problem with Kung-Pow IS Oedekerk. He looks like your next-door neighbor; not someone who should be on the big-screen. I just didn't think HE was that funny. (He DID provide EVERY VOICE-OVER for the Movie, so I guess he's funny as long as I can't see him...) The real laughs come from the other characters.

There are a lot of laughs to be had in Kung-Pow. As long as you're expecting a low-brow, lightweight film, you won't be disappointed.

And stay until after the credits; there's still one more joke....

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: it has its moments
Review: this movie has its moments. but the stupidity of this movie is unbelieveable. if i seen this on cable i would have no trouble going to the restroom or answering the phone. because this movie suckkssss

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: With this movie, there's no grey area.
Review: Okay, so you've seen the commercials, the trailers, the magazine ads, and I'll agree that they did the movie no justice. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and take the risk of watching a movie that could be potentially bad or potentially great. This movie will entertain a certain audience; an audience that can sit back and say, "This is a low-budget movie with a crazy man at the helm. I am ready for anything." If you don't like spending money on a movie that might make you say, "That was ridiculous! Why would anyone say/do/suggest that kind of thing in this situation??" then don't spend your money on this movie, because you will not truly appreciate this hour and a half of raw and senseless slapstick comedy.
Steve Oedekerk plays a martial arts prodigy aptly dubbed The Chosen One who is stuck in the typical 70's Hong Kong Action Flick storyline: An evil kung-fu master(body doubled by Leo Lee) named Master Pain...I mean...Betty, has killed the Chosen One's family, and he must avenge their deaths. The Chosen One, who wailed on everybody anyway, travels the East and trains in his unorthodox fighting style to locate and prepare himself for the Evil Betty. On his way he is assissted by many wacky and ludicrous counterparts, which range from his dog who is constantly disappearing form wide angle shots, and the one-boobed superwoman, Whoa(Jennifer Tung). The movie's visual quality and low-budget are stunning to say the least. The movie took eight days to shoot, and some scenes were shot in parking lots, beaches, and even Oedekerk's backyard! This short filming time is due to the fact that more than 3/4 of the movie is old footage from a 70's martial arts sleeper. Oedekerk digitally replaced the main character with himself in scenes where the Chosen One was needed and often just replaced the original character's head with his own. This technique was also topped off with beautifully accurate stage designs that were almost identical replicates from the movie it spoofs. All dialogue, except for Jennifer Tung's, is dubbed by Oedekerk in the most wacky way possible. Most lines were improvised and make for an almost impossible storyline, however this is NOT a movie rich in story!
Rent this movie when you just want a night of hilarity with no strings attached. Keep your standards for the comedy high, and your standards for the story extremely low, and let the impossibility of this movie entertain you. You will either like this movie, or you won't. There's really no grey area. Keep in mind that this movie is no blockbuster, but it is one of my personal top three favorite movies. You can't get much more original than this! Although the movie is actually a spin-off from the original kung-fu flick it spoofs, it's done at a perspective never thought of before. If you like this movie, check out some other Oedekerk movies and featurettes such as the Thumbation series(Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle, The Blair Thumb, Frankenthumb, Bat Thumb, Thumbtanic, The Godthumb) or some of his previous works like the two Nutty Professor movies with Eddie Murphey and Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Kung Pow! Enter the Fun
Review: I'm surprised at how much people didn't like this movie. You have to realize that Oedekerk and company wanted to make a cheesy movie; and they did. And that's the whole fun of it, the whole joke! That's what makes it so funny! Let's back up and describe what it is. Oedekerk is using footage from an old 70's kung-fu movie. About 50% of Kung Pow is old, and 50% is new film. Most of the old scenes have Oedekerk super-imposed into them, or have other "extras" overlapping them (i.e. a CGI moth). This, along with the many other special effects, makes for one of the more technically impressive movies I've seen recently. And how about humor? Most of the dubbing over of the original film is hilarious (something you'd see in a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode). Some of Oedekerk's new stuff is pretty funny, too (like the cow fight and several fight scenes), but others are just way too stupid to even be considered "good fun." But I really, really enjoyed this movie, and I loved all the DVD extras; I find myself quoting Kung Pow more than I want to. If you want complaints, though, here they are: Weak story. Dumb ending. The off dubbing gets kind of old. Some scenes just are not funny at all. But it's all stupid fun, and in good humor. Remember that.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I'll kill him, I'll kill him dead.
Review: This movie is so funny! It's got the worst story line ever, but who cares?! It's such a funny movie! You'll laugh almost all the way through. There are just so many jokes, I won't even start going into detail. Just watch it!!!


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