What’s it rated? R
When? 2004
Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre on Feb. 24 and 25 (1:30 and 7 p.m.), and Feb. 26 (7 p.m.)
Director Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) helms this outrageously funny, action-packed, fantasy martial arts epic set in Shanghai, China, in the 1940s, where wannabe gangster Sing (also Chow, who co-wrote the script) hopes to join the notorious Axe Gang along with his friend Bone (Tze-Chung Lam). To prove their worthiness, Sing and Bone pose as Axe Gang members and try to shake down the residents of a rundown slum called Pigsty Alley, which in turn attracts the actual Axe Gang, leading to a fight.
The film is really about Sing’s journey from a good kid into a cynical villain, and in flashback, we learn how Sing was humiliated and came to the realization that nice guys finish last. Sing must go further into darkness before he realizes he’s been misguided. It’s a familiar trope in Chinese wuxia films that examine martial arts and chivalry.
What makes the film so entertaining is its Looney Tunes cartoon approach to martial arts action. The laws of physics are completely suspended, gang members break out into choreographed dance sequences, and harmless-appearing characters such as Landlady (Qiu Yuen) and Landlord (Wah Yuen) turn out to be gifted martial arts experts. As both satire and homage, the film shines. (In Cantonese and Mandarin; 99 min.) Δ
This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 3, 2024.