Kung Fu Hustle - Reception

Reception

The film was generally well received by critics, earning the high score of 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes based on a total of 166 reviews. Hong Kong director and film critic Gabriel Wong praised the film for its black comedy, special effects and nostalgia, citing the return of many retired kung fu actors from the 1970s. Film critic Roger Ebert described the film "like Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny" at the Sundance Film Festival. The comment was printed on the promotion posters for Kung Fu Hustle in the United States. Other critics described it as a comedic version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Positive reviews generally give credit to the elements of mo lei tau comedy present in the film. A number of reviewers viewed it as a computer-enhanced Looney Tunes punch-up. In a 2010 GQ interview, actor Bill Murray called Kung Fu Hustle "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy."

Much of the criticism for the film is directed at its lack of character development and a coherent plot. Las Vegas Weekly, for instance, criticised the film for the lack of a central protagonist and character depth. Criticisms are also directed at the film's cartoonish and childish humour. Richard Roeper gave it a negative review, saying he had “never been a fan of that over the top slapstick stuff”.