Down on his luck, our unlikely hero is trying to save enough money to afford to be trained in kung fu. He joins a group of misfits in hopes of earning the money by performing for crowds in the street. However, he keeps running into trouble and a mysterious kung fu master. Will he be able to overcome the challenges that lie in front of him? Or will he die trying?
You May Also Like
Reviews
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
KUNG FU ON SALE is another cheap Taiwanese martial arts film that openly copies the Jackie Chan movies DRUNKEN MASTER and SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW. This is one of the most inept rip-offs I've seen, a film which never overcomes the paucity of a non-existent budget and feels cheap and slapdash throughout. The plot, about a kid who is banned from learning kung fu and who ends up hooking up with a wise master to learn the ropes, is as derivative as they come.The film's one familiar cast member is Dean Shek, playing a chap who runs a martial arts school. Otherwise, the main character is an idiot who keeps getting beaten up because people think he's ugly. There's a twist in the tale which feels a bit silly and unbelievable. The only time the story picks up is in the extended climax which is as familiar as they come. Unfortunately, the team dubbing this one into English seem to have decided that as it is a comedy/action film, they'll supply the most stupid and exaggerated voices ever. It's really irritating.
Our guy takes a beating simply because the bullies do not like his face. He goes to an egg seller for a job and the same trouble follows him. He needs a job for money to learn kung fu. He hooks up with three beggars. He tries to learn at Dean Shek's school but again, folks just do not like this guy. It escalates to the point where he can only make money by charging people $1 to punch him. A moustauche guy fights off the big guy who keeps punching him without payment then just walks off. He meets the drunken master Simon Yuen clone at a tea house. He becomes his grandfather and teacher. The movie then takes a twist that makes it more than a comedy and adds substance. Our guy's father was behind the scenes using his money to thwart his martial arts ambitions. Father comes clean and admits it and just wants his son to forget about martial arts and embrace the true power of money since it can buy anything. He doesn't want his son to be like his father who went off to become the man we already met, the drunken master called Grandfather. Son does not accept that premise of the power of money and he leaves. Father continues to use his money to pay people to stop the son but now those people extort him and demand even more money not to kill the son. The cliché of the thunderstorm indicates the final fight is near. Grandpa teaches him "Sleepy Crane" for the final fight. Most reviews indicate they liked this movie despite its shortcomings. This movie hits on the secret to low budget success, a likable sympathetic lead character in a story that is all about the martial arts. The grandfather, father, son, martial arts, money and power story points are all there if you care to pay attention. Those points take the movie above the ordinary or you can just enjoy the comedy and fights. Unfortunately the deeper story line is not well written nor well edited and comes across as if it came out of nowhere. I rate this above average and highly recommend it for all fans of the genre.
A very ultra low-budget martial arts film. I did not recognize anyone in this supposedly action/comedy film. It was so frustrating to see the main guy (our hero a Jackie Chan wannabe) get beat up time and time again. It wasn't until his own grandfather taught him some skills , was he able to defend himself somewhat. But by then you don't care. Interesting use of sample music from other films though.The grandfather scenes, reminded me of Jackie Chan's Drunken Master. very well done and nicely paced. Plus somewhat funny. The main guy looked a little to old to be playing the hero in this one. I'm into the martial arts, so I was gonna watch this regardless.
As one of my first ventures into old style, dubbed Kung Fu movies, this was very entertaining. I was expecting some hilariously bad movie, however I was pleasantly surprised about how well it was put together. It should show many critics that you do not need big budgets to make an entertaining film. Yet, on the flip side I guess it goes to show that to make a movie that can create a buzz, it will probably be need to have a larger budget. (Just look at _Gigli_, it was worse than this movie but had a much higher budget)The direction is stereotypical for this genre or sub-genre of film. The comedy, of course, is on the slapstick side--but it achieves its purpose for a kung fu movie. Outside of it being a rather stereotypical attempt for this genre, I would recommend it others and have--but good luck finding a copy, but I have found it on DVD.