I understand that it’s really obscure to review a Swedish short film on a website dedicated to reviewing Asian movies, but with something as ridiculous as Kung Fury, it’s almost impossible to ignore. After raising over $600,000 on KickStarter and even earning its way into Cannes, you’d imagine that it’s worth mentioning. Within a day of the trailer being released, I had to share it with others. It was unlike anything I had seen before and I very anxiously awaited the film’s release. This Swedish short film, created by David Samberg, pretty much took the internet by storm for a while. And upon the film’s release, people seem to have mixed reactions about it. There are a lot of people who loved it while others weren’t terribly impressed.
Kung Fury is about a cop from Miami appropriately named Kung Fury. He’s the toughest, most badass cop there is, but he constantly goes above the law and is a bit overzealous when solving crimes. His boss isn’t happy about this and he tries to assign Kung Fury to a new partner. But because of his tragic past, he rejects working with a partner and quits the police force. He decides to prove himself by going back in time to kill criminal mastermind and kung fu maestro, Adolf Hitler (a.k.a. Kung Führer). With the help of some vikings, a God, a robot, laser raptors, and a triceratops, Kung Fury must kill the most evil criminal of all time.
Kung Fury is about a cop from Miami appropriately named Kung Fury. He’s the toughest, most badass cop there is, but he constantly goes above the law and is a bit overzealous when solving crimes. His boss isn’t happy about this and he tries to assign Kung Fury to a new partner. But because of his tragic past, he rejects working with a partner and quits the police force. He decides to prove himself by going back in time to kill criminal mastermind and kung fu maestro, Adolf Hitler (a.k.a. Kung Führer). With the help of some vikings, a God, a robot, laser raptors, and a triceratops, Kung Fury must kill the most evil criminal of all time.
When I had first found out that Kung Fury had been released on YouTube, I literally dropped everything and watched it immediately. And with a hilarious trailer and plot, you’d probably be able to understand why. And since I’m a huge fan of 80’s action movies, it’s nice to see someone make a parody of it. But still, is Kung Fury really deserving of so much hype and attention?
Well, since this is a tribute to 80’s action movies, it’d be appropriate to discuss the action. Though most of the film is hilariously unrealistic, the action is actually pretty impressive. It’s not comparable to any of Jackie Chan’s works per se, but it’s still pretty creative. The effects and movements are over the top, but that’s why it’s so enjoyable. There’s even an amazing scene in which Kung Fury stands still while a bunch of Nazis just run into him and get knocked out. I was actually surprised at how violent this movie is. It’s ridiculous as hell, but there were a few scenes which were actually a bit disturbing. It isn’t realistic at all, but it’s still enjoyable and the effects make it very unique.
Well, since this is a tribute to 80’s action movies, it’d be appropriate to discuss the action. Though most of the film is hilariously unrealistic, the action is actually pretty impressive. It’s not comparable to any of Jackie Chan’s works per se, but it’s still pretty creative. The effects and movements are over the top, but that’s why it’s so enjoyable. There’s even an amazing scene in which Kung Fury stands still while a bunch of Nazis just run into him and get knocked out. I was actually surprised at how violent this movie is. It’s ridiculous as hell, but there were a few scenes which were actually a bit disturbing. It isn’t realistic at all, but it’s still enjoyable and the effects make it very unique.
It’s very likely that most audiences would watch Kung Fury for the comedy. And it’s actually surprising that this movie isn’t as funny as the trailer. Sure, the jokes from the trailer are still in the film, but they aren’t as funny once you already know the punchline. Other than that, there are other jokes in the film which get a laugh, but they’re unfortunately far apart. Of course, that doesn’t mean the film’s entirely unfunny. It certainly isn’t, but it’s not as funny as expected. It sometimes seems like there were a few missed opportunities. There’s one scene where two people just talk about mustaches...and that’s about it. There are plenty of comical dialogue and references to the 80’s to amuse the average viewer though.
Maybe one of my biggest problems with this film is the pacing. This short film is surprisingly slow-paced at times. There’s so much talking and sometimes only a few jokes in between which might only generate chuckles. There are also other scenes that sound great on paper, but aren’t very necessary. I argue that the pacing is more fitting for either a feature film or a five minute YouTube video, which is probably why the trailer worked so well.
Maybe one of my biggest problems with this film is the pacing. This short film is surprisingly slow-paced at times. There’s so much talking and sometimes only a few jokes in between which might only generate chuckles. There are also other scenes that sound great on paper, but aren’t very necessary. I argue that the pacing is more fitting for either a feature film or a five minute YouTube video, which is probably why the trailer worked so well.
Well, now that I’ve seemingly criticized this short film to death, I must say that this movie is still a whole lot of fun despite some slow-pacing. It’s not as amazing as expected, but it’s far from a letdown. Perhaps I've taken this film way too seriously. Kung Fury succeeds greatly at being a fun tribute to the 80’s. It should be a pleasant walk down memory lane for those who grew up in the 80’s and should still entertain those who didn’t. A lot of fun action and over the top comedy make this highly recommended. Just turn off your brain and you’re bound to love it.
Images from IMDb and Wp.Xin.At
Images from IMDb and Wp.Xin.At