Kung Pow: Enter the Fist2002
PG-13
Run-time: 1 hour, 21 minutes
Directed by: Steve Oedekerk
Starring: Steve Oedekerk
I'm honestly not entirely sure why I have this movie in my DVD collection because it's not really the type of movie I'd generally buy. If I remember correctly, I think my dad bought the flick, and at some point in time, I absorbed it into my personal collection, so it had to be viewed as part of this DVD Challenge. That being said, let's get into what works and what doesn't, shall we?
For those of you know who don't know the deal behind this movie, Oedekerk essentially took an obscure, 1970s martial arts movie called Tiger and Crane Fist and inserted himself into the story. In doing so, he created an entirely original storyline and dubbed the voices of the original characters, essentially spoofing the martial arts genre. Unfortunately, a lot of the jokes are relatively childish and unoriginal. Basically, we've got a movie that delves into the "stupid funny"
realm in order to garner its laughs. There's a lot of slapstick comedy and a lot of raunchy humor, but aside from that, we're not getting any legitimate laughs.There are quite a few pop culture references to be had, however. The most obvious modern spoofs are of the 1999 film The Matrix and the 1994 animated film The Lion King, so be on the lookout for those homages. According to the film's IMDb page, there are also references to Titanic, The Usual Suspects, and The Lord of the Rings, but I couldn't find them anywhere in the film. Maybe you'll have a little more luck spotting those particular gags.
Overall, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist is good for a few chuckles here and there. It's a goofy send-up of 1970s martial arts flicks from the man who brought the world the Ace Ventura films, so you can probably assume the direction this one will take. Is it worth owning? Probably not, but it's still in my library so I'll treasure it regardless.
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