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Originally posted by: greencapt
I recently watched both 'Kung Fu Hustle' and 'Ong Bak'. 'Hustle' *is* fun to watch but the effects do take away from the heart of the story (hear that, Lucas?). I will say that I sensed some good old 'studio vs creator' tension with 'Hustle'; I can just hear the studio saying "More Matrix... More effects" and Chow thinking "More Looney Tunes... more sillyness... more heart". Trouble is, whenever that occurs the final product always suffers.
Exactly, I felt it too. Yet, Hustle's script felt like it had one too many drafts. Stephen Chow should have kept it simple, bad characters vs. good characters. I mean, look at Stephen Chow's character: you never know what side he is, what are his reasons to act like that, his whole "past" thing was too shallow - what was the thing between him and that girl? And the whole thing about him being a kung fu genius who SUDDENLY gets to be the best kung fu fighter in the world...
Stephen Chow was obviously trying to please the distributors, producers, to top "Shaolin Soccer", and to create a good film, at the same time. I'm not so sure he achieved it...
BTW, does every modern ocidental-styled kung fu film have a "one man against 100 black-dressed men kung fu fight"? Matrix, Kill Bill vol 1, and now this...?
I didn't see "Ong Bak", I might...