（功夫）
is a 2004 action comedy film directed, produced and written by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the lead role. The other producers were Chui Po-chu and Jeffrey Lau, and the screenplay was co-written with Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, and Tsang Kan-cheung. Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan and Bruce Leung Siu-lung co-starred in prominent roles.
The film tells the story of a murderous neighborhood gang, a poor village with unlikely heroes, and an aspiring gangster’s fierce journey to find his true self. In 1940s Shanghai, petty crooks Sing and Bone aspire to join the notorious Axe Gang, which rules the town with an iron fist under the leadership of the cold-blooded Brother Sum. The two visit Pigsty Alley, a rundown slum, where they claim to be Axemen and attempt to extort the residents before being chased off by the slum’s Landlady.
In an attempt to bluff them, Sing throws a firecracker, which blows up the hat of a minor Axe Gang boss passing by. Sing blames the residents for throwing the firecracker, and the boss attacks a barber, only to be struck by an unseen assailant. The gang then calls for reinforcements while three of the tenants — Coolie, Tailor, and Donut — reveal themselves to be kung fu masters and triumph over the gang members. Fearing the Axe Gang’s retaliation, the Landlady quickly evicts the trio. Infuriated by the loss of his men, Brother Sum captures Sing and Bone, intending to kill them for posing as gang members. Sing narrowly frees themselves with his lock-picking skills, impressing Brother Sum, who allows them to join the gang once they commit manslaughter.
Lamenting his failure, Sing relives his childhood to Bone: he was duped into believing he was a natural-born kung fu genius by a vagrant selling a martial arts pamphlet, and as a result he gave the vagrant his meager savings to purchase the pamphlet. Sing practiced the Buddhist Palm technique and attempted to save Fong, a mute girl, from bullies, only to be beaten himself and humiliated when the bullies point out the pamphlet costs a mere 20 cents. Sing then became adamant the good guys never win and resolved to be a villain.
The two return to Pigsty Alley to kill the Landlady, though their plan backfires and they barely escape. Seeking safety in a traffic pulpit, Sing is surprised as his body rapidly heals from the injuries sustained during the escape; the pain causes him to strike the sides of the pulpit with extreme force, covering the surface with hand-shaped impressions. Brother Sum hires The Harpists — two assassins who use a magical guzheng – to kill the Pigsty Alley masters. They arrive at the alley undetected at night and overwhelm the three masters, who were in the process of leaving.
The Landlady and her husband, the Landlord, intervene and reveal themselves to be kung fu masters as well. They defeat the Harpists and send a stern warning to Brother Sum before evacuating Pigsty. Frustrated with his increasing failures, Sing attempts to rob an ice cream vendor but inadvertently discovers that she is actually Fong. She offers him a lollipop as she did in the past, but he swats it away, ashamed of how far he has fallen. After shooing Bone away, Sing is brought to Brother Sum.
The gang leader offers Sing instant membership into the gang if he can free the legendary assassin Beast from an asylum. Sing is successful, and the Beast is brought to the gang’s headquarters.
Watch with English Subtitle
Watch from Mainland China
搜狐/芒果TV/优酷
Bibliography: