In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
The most renowned and feared chef in the world loses his title of God of Cookery because of his pompous attitude. Humbled, he sets out to reclaim his title.
A bar girl hires a struggling actor to give her acting lessons so that she can feign a greater interest in her customers. The longer they work together, the more they find they have in common.
A scholar in search of true love. Disguising himself as a houseboy, he indentures himself to a rich family in order to pursue the ravishing servant girl who has stolen his heart.
Fantasy adventure about the arrival of Buddhism in China. When the Goddess of Happiness tosses the Longevity Monk and his disciples out of heaven (because the Monkey King tried to attain ... See full summary »
Pao Lung-Sing, a descendant of the famous Judge Pao Ching Tient, is a 9th degree corrupt judge (lowest degree) who changes his tune when he tries to champion a woman Chi Siu-Lin, who was ... See full summary »
Tang Sanzang, an aspiring Buddhist hero tries to protect a village from three demons. He develops complex feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who repeatedly helps him, and finally quests to meet the legendary Monkey King.
On the course of a case involving terrorists, Sing has been demoted to traffic duty. After feeling insulted being assigned to traffic duty, he quits the police force. Having no money left ... See full summary »
A wild and hilariously anachronistic tale of an imperial guard of the Forbidden City who has no martial arts abilities but a talent for making futuristic machines and must save the kidnapped emperor.
Set in Canton, China in the 1940s, the story revolves in a town ruled by the Axe Gang, Sing who desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turns out to be the greatest kung-fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung-fu battle. Only one side will win and only one hero will emerge as the greatest kung-fu master of all.Written by
Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
The name "Pig Sty Alley" is a play on the Chinese name for the Walled City of Kowloon. It was a Chinese exclave in Hong Kong, and for much of the 20th century it was well-known as a breeding ground of crime, slums, and disorder. It was torn down in 1993. See more »
Goofs
When Sing fights the gang at the end, before he begins to fight the Beast, he stands on a balcony and throws two bad guys away from him. They land against the wall of the balcony. In the next shot, they crash through the wall and out of the balcony. See more »
Quotes
Sing:
Fat woman, you're in charge here, right?
Landlady:
[takes her shoe off, slaps Sing with it]
Fat woman, my ass!
Sing:
I'm with the Axe Gang!
Landlady:
[slaps him]
Axe Gang, my ass!
Sing:
Boss!
Landlady:
[slaps him]
Boss, my ass!
Sing:
You have to pay our medical bills!
Landlady:
Bills, my ass!
Sing:
We're on the same side!
Landlady:
Same side, my ass!
[...] See more »
Alternate Versions
The film was slightly cut/altered in mainland China to satisfy the local censors (these changes were carried over to the U.S. release):
After the scene where the landlady knocks the landlord out the window onto the ground, the original version shows a bit of blood flowing out from under the landlord's face after the plant smashes his head. The mainland version removes the blood.
Sing's failed attempt in intimidating a Pig Sty village farmer, who punches him square in the stomach. The original version shows Sing spitting out blood, which ends up appearing on the farmer's face after Sing asks her what she does. The mainland version digitally removes both the blood being spit out (but blood is still seen around his mouth, implying it was "coming up") as well as the blood splats on the farmer's face.
During the night scene right before the attack from the musicians there is a long take showing what most of the residents of Pig Sty are doing, including someone crouching on the ground having a "bowel movement". The original version shows a piece of paper with excrement on it implying what he was doing, while the mainland version removes the paper and its "contents", leaving the viewer confused as to why he's simply crouching down with his pants partially down.
When "The Beast" punches Sing in the chest in the casino, two extra shots appear in the original cut, with the first being a slow motion shot of blood spraying upward The Beast's face, and the second being another slow motion shot, this time of Sing's head flying back with blood spraying from his mouth.
Soon after this, Sing's face is punched into the ground by The Beast, and a slow motion shot of The Beast's bloody hand being raised from the ground is shown in the original cut. The mainland cut simply jumps from the shot of Sing's head being punched through the ground to the low angle shot of The Beast pulling his fist up.
Zhi Yao Wei Ni Huo Yi Tian
Composed by Liu Jie Chang
Lyrics by Lin Huang Kun
Performed by Huang Sheng Yi
Arranged by Ying-Wah Wong (as Raymond Wong) See more »
Goodness me, what a fantastic movie. Caught the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and the entire theater laughed until they cried. Amazingly directed, HILARIOUSLY funny, it blends a 1930s gangster stylishness into a Hong Kong kung fu movie to astonishing results. Who would've thought you could top Shaolin Soccer? Not me, until I saw this movie. Stephen Chow pulled it off. Chow's comedic timing gets better and better with every movie he makes, and while his films are depending more and more on CGI these days, and makes this movie much more a fantasy kung fu film than a traditional one, it hardly detracts from the enjoyable experience. Make it your mission to see this film - it will be one of the most entertaining you ever see. I can't remember the last film I enjoyed myself in more. My eyes still hurt from wiping away tears of laughter. Seriously.
358 of 413 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
Goodness me, what a fantastic movie. Caught the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and the entire theater laughed until they cried. Amazingly directed, HILARIOUSLY funny, it blends a 1930s gangster stylishness into a Hong Kong kung fu movie to astonishing results. Who would've thought you could top Shaolin Soccer? Not me, until I saw this movie. Stephen Chow pulled it off. Chow's comedic timing gets better and better with every movie he makes, and while his films are depending more and more on CGI these days, and makes this movie much more a fantasy kung fu film than a traditional one, it hardly detracts from the enjoyable experience. Make it your mission to see this film - it will be one of the most entertaining you ever see. I can't remember the last film I enjoyed myself in more. My eyes still hurt from wiping away tears of laughter. Seriously.