Kung Phooey
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2019) |
Kung Phooey! | |
---|---|
Directed by | Thinkfilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
Language | English |
Kung Phooey! is a 2003
The movie is an affectionate parody of old Kung fu film tropes. For instance, one of the running jokes is about how all the bad guys make "Hi-yah!" sounds. The filming actually took place in the San Francisco Bay Area, poking fun at movies like Rumble in the Bronx that disguise British Columbia locations to look like cities in the United States.
Plot
The plot follows the quest of Art Chew (
Not long after Art arrives, Helen Hu (Joyce Thi Brew), a dealer of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) portrayed with unscrupulous motivations like a cocaine dealer, forces Art's stereotypical Uncle Wong (Wallace Choy) into buying more MSG. Art intervenes and tries to fight Helen's muscle, the overweight and strong One Ton (perhaps a play on the Chinese wonton), the wise cracking "brains" of the outfit Lo Fat, and the Kung-Fu fighter Non Fat. After blocking One Ton's attack, Art reels to attack showing a smiley face on his arm which Lo Fat points out as a symbol of a Shur-li monk and they run away.
Art asks his uncle where the Ancient peach is and is told that it is in the restaurant owned by Helen Hu; in a brief humorous spectacle, Art and the others mix the name Hu with the article "who".
After Art and crew are thrown out Lo Fat notices a glowing coming out of the hole in the wall and looks in and finds the ancient peach. Subsequent events include the peach changing hands multiple times and the appearance of a romantic interest, Sue Shi (Karena Davis),[e] who is later revealed to be an agent of the Shur-li temple.
Production
Kung Phooey! was primarily filmed in Oakland and San Francisco, starting in spring 2001. Filming locations included Oakland Chinatown and Golden Gate Park.[1][2]
Fong said he was motivated to create the film after he was continually cast into stereotypical "Asian American" roles:
Release
Kung Phooey! received a limited release at film festivals focusing on Asian American and independent cinema (
The film was released on DVD and VHS in July 2004.[5]
Reception
Robert Koehler, reviewing for Variety, called it "scrappy foolishness" and noted the "visual jokes pile up like the bad guys but never at the kind of crackling pace this brand of spoof demands" while comparing it to Fear of a Black Hat.[3]
See also
- Hong Kong Phooey (1976)
- Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), a contemporary kung fu film parody
- The Foot Fist Way (2006)
Notes
- ^ The name of the character Art Chew is a pun of the sneezing sound.
- ^ Shur-li Temple is a pun of the famous child actor Shirley Temple
- ^ "Wayman" parodies the way some Chinese pronounce r as w.
- ^ This is in homage to the Who's on First? comedy routine.
- ^ Sue Shi's name is a pun on sushi.
References
- ^ a b Liu, Marian (April 18, 2001). "Chinese Kung-Fu Spoof Films in Oakland: Producer Hopes to Break Stereotypes of Asians". Oakland Tribune. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ a b LaSalle, Mick (May 12, 2001). "Kung Fu Fighter: Rookie Director Battles Stereotypes, Props, and Budget to Make Martial Arts Parody". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Koehler, Robert (May 29, 2003). "Kung Phooey!". Variety. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ Chew, Dee Dee. "Film review: Fong's 'Kung Phooey' a good kick of a spoof". The Daily Aztec. U-Wire. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Archived Posts: July 2004". Angry Asian Man. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
External links
- Official Website
- Kung Phooey! at IMDb
- "Kung Phooey!". Film in America.