Master of its domain

At different turns outrageous, surreal, hilarious, exciting and even endearing, Kung Fu Hustle is an extraordinarily fun way to spend an evening at the movies. The film takes complete advantage of its 95 minutes with seemingly limitless action scenes, slapstick sequences and several intertwining plot lines.

In pre-revolutionary China in the 1940s, would-be gangster Sing (Stephen Chow, also the movie’s director and cowriter) and his chubby pal (Chi Chung Lam) wander into Pig Sty Alley, a crowded apartment complex in Shanghai, posing as members of the notorious Axe Gang.

Thinking they’ll at least get free haircuts from the ruse, Sing and his partner in crime are instead treated to a butt whuppin’. When the real Axe Gang – a smooth-dressing pack of thugs wielding axes and scowls – shows up to defend their honor, they too are unceremoniously defeated by three unlikely middle-aged kung fu masters. With a dire need to save face, the Axe Gang hires two assassins who use their musician jobs as cover and their instruments as deadly, otherworldly weapons.

The assassins defeat their intended quarry but themselves are bested by an even unlikelier and formidable duo: the complex’s skinny landlord and his overweight wife. Sing is allowed to join the Axe Gang, but only if he breaks into a mental institution to free the deadliest assassin in the land – a balding man known only as The Beast. But during The Beast’s life-or-death battle with the landlord and landlady, Sing has a change of heart and decides to aid the couple.

Although The Beast beats Sing within an inch of his life, the thrashing somehow realigns his energy, helping him realize his potential as the greatest kung fu master of them all.

Chow has fashioned an unusual but imaginative film that defies description and is never more than terrific fun. It is clearly meant to be a spoof of kung fu movies but, like the best parodies, has a reverence for its source material.

The action scenes, though often very violent, bristle with inventiveness and thrill with athleticism. But, above all, Kung Fu Hustle is a comedy that ranges from slapstick to almost surreal, as the audience often can’t believe what it is seeing.

Chow, who adds a producer’s credit to his already-full r�sum� on this movie, made the 2001 critical favorite and surprise commercial hit, Shaolin Soccer. With his new, incredibly watchable film, he proves that was not a fluke.

Kung Fu Hustle
R
Starting tomorrow at area theaters
Three reels out of four

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Recommended rental

Blade: Trinity
R
Available Tuesday

Third and reportedly last in the series based on the popular Marvel comic book, Blade: Trinity marks the return of Wesley Snipes as the fearless vampire killer who just happens to be half-vampire. This time around, Blade is being pursued by a relentless FBI agent (James Remar), who mistakenly believes Blade to be a ruthless murderer. If that isn’t bad enough, the vampires have brought Dracula back from the dead and have made it possible for him to tolerate daylight. To fight the evil forces, Blade forms an uneasy alliance with two scruffy vampire slayers (Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds) calling themselves the Nightstalkers.

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Movie schedules until Feb. 17 unless otherwise indicated.

Call theaters for updates.

SOUTH PHILLY
United Artists Riverview Plaza
Columbus Blvd. and Reed St.
215-755-2219

*The Interpreter (PG-13)
Fri.-Thu.: 12:15, 1:15, 3:15, 4:15, 6:15, 7:15, 9:15, 10:10

*King’s Ransom (PG-13)
Fri.-Thu.: 12, 1, 2:30, 3:30, 5, 6, 7:30, 8:30, 10

*A Lot Like Love (PG-13)
Fri.-Thu.: 12:05, 2:40, 5:20, 7:55, 10:35

*The Amityville Horror (R)
Thu.: 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 8, 8:30, 9, 10:30

Fri.-Thu.: 12:45, 1:30, 2:15, 3:10, 3:55, 4:40, 5:35, 6:20, 7:05, 8:10, 8:45, 9:30, 10:25

*State Property 2 (R)
Thu.: 12:15, 1:15, 2:45, 3:45, 5:15, 6:15, 7:45, 8:45, 10:15

Fri.-Thu.: 12:30, 1:25, 3, 4, 5:30, 6:30, 8, 9, 10:30

*Fever Pitch (PG-13)
Thu.: 12:45, 1:45, 3:20, 4:20, 6:10, 7:05, 8:40, 9:40

Fri.-Thu.: 1:40, 4:10, 7:10, 9:45

*Sahara (PG-13)
Thu.: 12:05, 1:05, 3:05, 4:05, 6:05, 7:05, 9:05, 10:05

Fri.-Thu.: 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:15

*Sin City (R)
Thu.: 12:40, 3:40, 7, 9:40, 10:10

Fri.-Thu.: 12:40, 3:40, 7, 10:05

*Beauty Shop (PG-13)
Thu.: 1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50

Fri.-Thu.: 12:55, 3:50, 6:45, 9:40

*Guess Who (PG-13)
Thu.: 2:05, 4:55, 7:40, 10:20

Fri-.-Thu.: 4:55, 7:40, 10:20

*Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (PG-13)
Thu.: 12:20, 2:55, 5:25

Fri.-Thu.: 1:10, 4:05

*The Ring Two (PG-13)
Thu.: 1:25, 4:15, 6:50, 9:35

Fri.-Thu.: 6:50, 9:35

*Robots (PG)
Thu.: 12:10, 2:35, 5:05, 7:25

Fri.-Thu.: 12:20, 2:45, 5:15, 7:35, 9:50

*Hostage (R)
Thu.: 7:55, 10:35 (Ends 4-21)

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CENTER CITY

Ritz at the Bourse
400 Ranstead St.
215-925-7900

*Don’t Move (R)
Fri.-Tue.: 1:30, 4:15, 7, 9:40

*In the Realms of the Unreal (NR)
Fri.-Tue.: 1:15, 3:15, 5:20, 7:20, 9:25

*Monsieur N. (NR)
Thu.-Tue.: 1, 4, 6:45, 9:30

*Sideways (R)
Thu.-Tue.: 3:45, 6:30

*The Upside of Anger (R)
Thu.-Tue.: 1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50

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Ritz 5
214 Walnut St.
215-925-7900

*Music from the Inside Out (NR)
Fri.-Tue.: 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45

*Millions (PG)
Fri.: 12:20, 2:45, 3:45, 5:10, 6:10, 7:30, 8:35, 9:55

Sat.-Tue.: 12:20, 1:20, 2:45, 3:45, 5:10, 6:10, 8:35, 9:55

*Melinda and Melinda (PG-13)
Fri.-Tue.: 12:15, 2:40, 5, 7:25, 9:50

*Walk on Water (NR)
Thu.-Tue.: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:35, 9:55

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Ritz East
Second Street Between Chestnut and Walnut
215-925-7900

*Kung Fu Hustle (R)
Fri-Sun., Tue.: 12:45, 1:45, 3, 4, 5:15, 6:15, 7:30, 8:30, 9:45

Mon.: 12:45, 1:45, 3, 4, 5:05, 6:15, 8:30, 10

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Roxy Theater
2023 Sansom St.
215-923-669

*Hotel Rwanda (PG-13)
Fri-Thu.: 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 9:45

*The Amityville Horror (R)
Thu.-Thu.: 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:45

*Beauty Shop (PG-13)
Thu.: 12:30, 2:45, 5, 7:35, 9:45 (Ends 4-21)