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The God of Cookery More at IMDbPro »Sik san (original title)
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| Index | 17 reviews in total |
23 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
Very tasty!, 25 October 2003
Author:
Wizard-8 from Victoria, BC
I wish an American distributor had picked up this over-the-top Hong Kong
comedy, because it may have helped to break down the unfortunate fact that
Americans for the most part are still pretty closed to foreign films.
Granted, it's far from a conventional comedy, and not easy for advertising
to sum up, but I think this could have been at the very least a sleeper hit
on these shores had a distributor patiently opened this across the
country.
But you should be able to find this in any good Asian movie rental place in
your city. You don't have to worry about any cultural differences - much of
the humor is of the international slapstick variety, and even some of the
cultural references (like Shaolin kung fu) will be understandable. Now there
are some kinds of humor that even had me (who's seen much more of Asian
cinema than the average humor) mystified, but there was still a wacky edge
to them that made them amusing, even if I didn't know exactly what they were
referring to.
The movie is a non-stop barrage of laughs. It does get exhausting at times,
and the movie starts to get really sloppy towards the end (the final scene
felt very unfinished), but you'll still find much more to enjoy here than in
your average American comedy. Even if you end up hating it, you won't be
able to deny that you've seen NOTHING like this before!
16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
joyfully absurd silliness, 23 April 2005
Author:
red_hyro from Montreal, Canada
Another terrific film from director/star/co-writer Stephan Chow, the
highlight of which are scenes involving The Eighteen Brassmen of
Shaolin Monastery, whom provide for particularly inspired comic moments
in a movie full of them. Like his breakthrough film in the west,
Shaolin Soccer, this film incorporates martial arts into an area not
associated explicitly with them.
However, The God of Cookery is not as much focused upon cooking as it
is upon an ever-expanding group of oddball characters. The most
wonderful thing about Chow as a director is that he doesn't simply use
them as vehicles for gags but really allow them screen time to do their
thing, even if it is just a throwaway role in the film (the 'ugly chef'
who is in the very first scene is a good example). This includes ugly
duckling/love interest Turkey, whose absurdly brutal personality and
violent behaviour is so incredibly funny because Karen Mok, the actress
playing Turkey, portrays her so honestly and without guile. There is
none of the incredibly unfunny, strained-'trying to be funny' or ironic
acting often found in recent American comedies. Chow is apparently a
huge fan of Bruce Lee, but his work seems to take as much from Charlie
Chaplin, a guy who knew how to be serious-ly funny.
Anyway, if you enjoyed Stephan Chow's other comedies or are up for some
joyfully absurd silliness, look around for this one, it's worth the
effort.
15 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Absolutely hysterical., 4 August 1999
Author:
Leigh Melton (leigh@nbi.com) from USA
This film is laugh-out-loud material throughout. For those familiar with
Hong Kong cinema, you'll get an extra kick out of the razor-sharp spoofs
of
various genre by Stephen Chow, but even if this is your first-ever HK film
you'll find it non-stop laughs.
Chow plays the so-called "God of Cookery", a media hype creation who is a
legend in his own mind, but not necessarily the kitchen. When he involves
himself in a shady business deal, he is publicly shamed and loses all of
his
wealth and fame. After meeting up with the tough-as-nails Sister Turkey,
a
street food vendor (played to the hilt by Karen Mok), he seeks to regain
his
fame and fortune... but still hasn't quite learned his lesson yet - that
takes a bit more plot and dozens more jokes.
Highly recommended! I rate it a 10 out of 10.
13 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Great movie!, 13 May 2005
Author:
inu-2 from United States
Even though there is some region specific humor in this movie that the
subtitles completely glaze over, it is still a fantastic watch because
there is plenty of other great humor to enjoy. Any food lover with a
good sense of humor or a Honk Kong cinema fan would really enjoy this
movie. There is a bit of 'toilet humor' in this movie, so if that
offends you, you may want to consider one of Stephen's other movies.
I've watched it at least 6 times myself while showing it to various
friends and family members and it's always a good for laugh. This movie
contains most of Stephen's standard crew. However, if you are looking
for an all-out kung-fu explosion, you might be disappointed with this
movie. It definitely has some great moves and some fighting, but the
story is fun, engaging and very unique. And you just can't beat the 12
brass monks! No really, you can't beat them... just watch the movie and
enjoy. and enjoy. ;)
10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
An incredible Chinese comedy, and commentary., 7 September 2000
Author:
kurthr from Sunnyvale, CA
God of Cookery is a hilarious parody of a number of other great HK films
(the gambler series, early Jackie Chan, and "Chinese Feast" style cuisine
dramas), though I didn't know that when I first saw it... it's how I got
into the genre. Because it's satire is so over the top though, you also
start to get a feel for the huge differences in film tabus between western
and eastern cinema. Production values are amazingly high, and although they
"fixed" a couple of hilarious subtitles in the DVD version, at least you
can
read them in most scenes. The self referential jokes about english
translation and subtitles are still there.
The best of Kung Food!
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
One of the funniest films ever made!, 1 August 1999
Author:
Leigh Melton from USA
You don't have to be a devotee of Hong Kong cinema to love
this
delightfully silly spoof movie. While you might enjoy this
film
even *more* if you recognize the targets of its barbs,
each
gag stands alone. Karen Mok as Sister Turkey is one of
the
finest comedic portrayals I've seen in quite a while. Of
course
Stephen Chow, one of Hong Kong's most famous actors, gives
a typically over-the-top performance as one of the world's
great
weasels turned... well, not exactly a good guy, but at least a bit *less* of
the weasel.
Lots of genres get their turn in this film: martial arts movies, cooking
shows, Chinese television commercials, you name it. A definite must for HK
cinema fans or for anyone who likes to laugh out loud at films which are
silly and witty at the same time.
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
The best Stephen Chow movie!, 5 July 2002
Author:
Ryu Blue from Toronto, Canada
I've seen all of Stephen Chow's comedies, and The God of Cookery is on the top of my list (right above From Beijing with Love). This film is the perfect "Intro to Stephen Chow" for all the unfortunate people that have yet been subjected to his spectacular brand of humour. If you're a fan of Chinese films, you must see this movie. If you're not, that's just too bad... it's never too late though.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Review for Chow Fans, 24 May 2005
Author:
eubiegk from United States
If you live in the U.S., you probably didn't get to see this movie until after encountering at least one of director Stephen Chow's newer, heavily CGI'd extravaganzas such as Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle, which right off may damage the experience for those going in expecting more of the same manically paced action, and Hollywood-grade production values. God of Cookery is considerably older than either of his better known U.S. releases, which means that not only are effects scaled down more than a little, Chow's directing skills are clearly lacking the same polish he exhibits in later films. All that having been said, God of Cookery should still be considered required viewing for anyone who liked either of the above movies, or who has a particular fondness for the Japanese reality-cooking show Iron Chef (the parodic base for the film). Many of Chow's beloved regulars are here, at least in cameo, which will go a long way towards carrying Chow fans through the first and second acts which, although generally funny enough, are a bit plodding for American audiences. Any unrest the first two thirds may have caused, however, will be instantly dispelled in the third act which, not coincidentally, is when Chow's beloved kung-fu finally makes its appearance. The absolute high-light for me was the 88 Brass Men of Shaolin Temple, whose, erm, UNIQUE combat style was one of the funniest things I've seen in any movie, period. The actual God of Cooking competition isn't half bad either, and definitely could be viewed as the immediate precursor to Shaolin Soccer, combining as it does over-the-top kung-fu (and some dandy practical effects, even a couple of early CGI shots) with every aspect of cooking Chow can devise. Ultimately this is a film for the fans, casual viewers may find themselves too lost or bored by act three to hang on for the grand finale, and it's definitely not the kid friendly romp of 'Soccer by a long stretch.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
This Could Be The Best Film Ever Made..., 29 July 1999
Author:
Squ1db0y from Milwaukee Wi
Despite the recent increase in popularity of Asian film in the united states, what with the introduction of Jet Li and Jackie Chan to mainstream audiences, it seems that only the dedicated few are aquainted with the works of Stephen Chao. This particular film is quite possibly the best of his work so far, with its quick pace, hillarious sight gags and kungfu movie allusions. The overall style of the piece is very appealing and will not fail to delight even people who generally dislike foreign film. For best viewing, i prefer the DVD edition.. the subtitles are clearly ledgible, and fairly accurate to the cantonese dialogue.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Good laughs for any civilized culture!, 19 March 2002
Author:
Jason from Los Angeles, CA, USA
I'm now a proud owner of this hilarious and original film. Full of comedy
ranging from the physical silliness of the Three Stooges, to the absurd
concept-driven comedy of Monty Python. Another great thing is you get to
see Asian cinema making fun of common cliche`s of Asian cinema and
animation. There is also a lot of fun references and similarities to the
storytelling and cinematography of the Coen Brothers. I can see some
ideas
may have been borrowed from The Hudsucker Proxy, from 2 years before it.
Very enjoyable for those who can read subtitles.
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