Do the "Hustle"!

We watched "Kung Fu Hustle" last night, and I have to say, it is one of the most entertaining movies I've ever seen. Patti loved it too, though she didn't quite make it to the end before slipping away to la-la land.

The movie is an over-the-top kung-fu version of "Gangs of New York," with a few musical numbers and the same type of acro-/aerobatic fight sequences that characterize most modern martial arts movies. Director/star Steven Chow takes "Hustle" one step further, however, by showing the audience the "impact" of the... er... impacts. When someone gets punched, their chest caves in slightly, or we see faces shmushed like play-dough under the force of a kick or punch. It's extremely amusing, and makes for a lot of cringing "Oh, man!!!"s peppered with laughter.

If you're in the mood for a light-hearted, escapist Kung-Fu fantasy, there are a slew of movies to choose from, all of them quite good: "Hero," "Crouching Tiger," etc., but for sheer entertainment, "Hustle" really has the moves!