Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)

Synopsis

After witnessing his parents’ murder as a baby, a wanderer known as The Chosen One (Steve Oedekerk) seeks vengeance. Along the way, he meets Master Tang (Hui Lou Chen), who agrees to train him after seeing his sentient tongue. The Chosen One also meets the incompetent Wimp Lo (Lau Kar-wing) and his future love interest, Ling (Ling Ling Tse). Soon, The Chosen One meets Master Pain (Fei Lung), aka Betty, who was responsible for his family’s death. Determined to match Betty’s prowess, namely taking Bō staff beatings, The Chosen One trains himself similarly but with little success. Despite warnings from the one-breasted Whoa (Jennifer Tung), The Chosen One hunts Betty and his henchmen down. Unfortunately, those closest to The Chosen One fall victim to Betty’s wrath, further motivating him to train properly. Will The Chosen One succeed in finding vengeance, or will Betty and The Evil Council conquer the world?

Review

Despite receiving largely negative reviews, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist has become a cult favorite, and I can see why. The style of comedy presented is a precursor to the randomness and eccentricity of Internet humor. You could say that Kung Pow: Enter the Fist walked so that YouTube Poop videos could run. While not all the jokes land, the film hits you with so many that you’re never bored. Your enjoyment of the movie comes down to whether or not you enjoy absurdist, occasionally childish, humor. Part of the film’s charm is its lack of mean-spiritedness and all-out shock humor in service of pure silliness. Like the best parody films, this one pays homage to its subject matter and pokes fun at the conventions. Even if some jokes fall flat, the ones that work make up for them and offer the biggest laughs.

In addition to being in excellent shape, Steve Oedekerk’s inherent likability makes him a strong lead. Oedekerk also provided the dubbing, which he wrote to be as awkward and nonsensical as possible. The dubbing perfectly spoofs the trope of most martial arts films of the 70s that had unintentionally hilarious voiceovers. Since Jennifer Tung is the only female voice present, it’s even funnier to hear Oedekerk use his best female voice. I also have to give Oedekerk credit for not stooping to stereotypical humor, which a lesser filmmaker would’ve used. It’s also impressive how Oedekerk was able to integrate new footage with the old footage in a seamless way. Granted, some of the compositing sticks out badly, but the low-fi effects add to its charm. There’s also some dated CGI, but I can excuse it considering the $10 million budget.

Returning to the subject of the film’s structure, describing the movie is difficult without discussing individual moments. It’s all over the place, from a battle with a CGI cow to a breakdancing extra in a fight scene. So much of the film shouldn’t work, but Oedekerk throws so much at the screen that it comes together. While I wouldn’t call this a comedy classic similar to Blazing Saddles or Caddyshack, it’s earned its cult status. Interestingly, this film tied with Master of Disguise for Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy at the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. While humor is subjective, and some might not enjoy this, saying it’s on par with Dana Carvey’s failed starring vehicle. At 81 minutes, the film goes by fast without feeling rushed and never overstays its welcome. Overall, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist is a uniquely funny parody deserving of its cult following.

Buy Kung Pow: Enter the Fist from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YMIwui.

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