Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
Kung Pow: Enter The First ê   (PG-13 )
Reviewed By George O. Singleton
I'll believe it when I see it…maybe

The Chosen One: Steve Oedekerk
Director: Steve Oedekerk

30 Second Bottom Line: A man seeks revenge for the killing of his family, using his kung fu skills against the legendary Master Pain.

Story Line: The movie begins with Master Pain (AKA Betty) entering the home of The Chosen One (Steve Oedekerk), when he was an infant. Betty kills his parents and tries unsuccessfully to kill The Chosen One. Although The Chosen One is not yet to the crawling stage, he takes on Betty and with a combination of kung fu moves and the ability to urinate like a fireman's water hose, The Chosen One escapes and is soon a grown man seeking revenge.

Set within the 1976 film, Savage Killers, this film, Kung Pow, is digitally inserted into the '76 movie. The dubbing is intentionally bad so that it all blends together¾the Chinese from the Savage Killers and the English from Kung Pow. It appears that the general plot of Savage Killers is maintained, while this new film is done with a comedic twist.  

Kung Pow is a spoof; at times the same scene is shown multiple times with different dialogue. A possible highlight is when The Chosen One fights a cow that knows kung fu.

Tell Me More About It: There was a time when you could say you would believe something only when you saw it. Here you see it but you can't believe it. If this film has any value for someone that is not into bad kung fu movies, it's that there can be no doubt how effective technology can be used to change what you think you see on film. We can easily understand that the fighting cow is not real, as it mimics the moves from The Matrix. But I'll bet that more people than we'd like to admit did not know that there were no Hooters restaurants in China in 1976, when the film Savage Killers was made. Yet Hooters is placed so seamlessly into the picture, that it's as real as what is real¾or as real as many things at Hooters.

There were a few minor laughs in the film. And based upon the limited laughter from the audience, not many others found it funny either. A few people walked out, I assume because this was beyond Another Bad Kung Fu Movie. If there is anyone who thinks this film will ring their bell, it's someone looking for a parody on bad kung fu movies.
Rated PG-13 for comic violence, crude and sexual humor
George O. Singleton © 2002

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