![]() The rest of the players are either appropriate or unobtrusive, with Fan Siu-Wong making the biggest impact in yet another of his borderline comic "I'm an evil person" roles. However, Wu is outdone by Ai Kago, whose cute and funny girl act is so egregious that it could cause scars in more impressionable audiences. The sloppy filmmaking extends to the acting Sammo Hung is great and grizzled as Yee, but Vanness Wu mugs up a storm as super-hip kung-fu slacker Ken. Later on in the film, certain characters are in great peril, but rather than race to save them, everyone else stands around for a, "Hmmm, thank you for having honor, no don't kneel, let's stand around and talk" conversation that really stretches the clock. The chefs frequently display X-ray eyesight, and at one point Cherrie Ying demonstrates telepathic powers which she uses to, uh, select a dish for a cooking competition. Besides the barely existent story, you have lousy sound design, odd continuity, terrible editing, and numerous nonsensical sequences that appear pretty much out of nowhere. The fight sequences help compensate for the film's negatives, which number quite high when tallied up. If Sammo getting to hit his flesh-and-blood is what it takes for him to suit up for more action films, then Timmy, please play a bad guy more often. His role is basically to play his father's punching bag, but he takes the punishment gamely. Still, the chiseled Vanness Wu handles his fight sequences well, and even Timmy Hung gets in on the action. Yuen Clan members Yuen Cheung-Yan and Yuen Shun-Yi deserve credit, as do actors like Sammo Hung, Bruce Leung (as Yee's fallen older brother) and Fan Siu-Wong - namely guys who can handle more complex choreography than your standard popstar types. The action isn't bloody or over the top, but it's not marred by extraneous editing, sometimes allowing for more than your usual two or three points of contact per shot. ![]() Unlike the disappointing Kung Fu Fighter, Kung Fu Chef delivers solid fight sequences that recall light Hong Kong fare from years past. Can Yee and his new family beat up an army of baddies dressed in powder blue blazers? However, Master Joe is unhappy to hear about Yee's return, and sends his goons (led by Flash Point's Xing Yu), all fashionably dressed up like Miami Vice-era Don Johnson clones, to mess things up. ![]() Yee has a past connection to the sisters, and after a fashion he agrees to take over the kitchen and train Ken, who acts annoying and arrogant until Yee beats him in a sashimi slicing contest. In the present time, Yee crosses paths with hip and talented martial arts chef Ken (Vanness Wu) at a restaurant run by sisters Ching (Cherrie Ying) and Ying (Kago Ai of Japan's Morning Musume). Also, the Dragon Head Knife magically grew dull, turning gray and ugly right before everyone's eyes. However, his evil nephew Master Joe (Fan Siu-Wong) framed him by poisoning the meal, making Yee an outcast from the martial arts/cooking world. Sammo Hung stars as martial arts chef Wong Ping-Yee, who years ago saved a banquet by using the powerful Dragon Head Knife to butcher a whole pig in less than two minutes flat. Thanks to decent fight scenes, fun cooking scenes and the presence of the venerable Sammo Hung, the film surpasses its numerous negatives to deliver something approximating decent, harmless fun. The combo of director Yip Wing-Kin and stars Vanness Wu and Fan Siu-Wong couldn't prevent Kung Fu Fighter from being a crappy Kung Fu Hustle clone, and since they all return for Kung Fu Chef, it's understandable if confidence in this latest Kung Fu iteration is not high. Not quality but not really bad.Īt first glance, Kung Fu Chef looks as cheesy and low-rent as 2007's unimpressive Kung Fu Fighter. Decent fighting, fun cooking, and Sammo Hung lift Kung Fu Chef beyond its meager expectations to become something of a surprise. It's another Kung Fu film, and it's actually okay fun. Louis Fan Siu-Wong, Lam Chi-Chung, Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, Wu Jianfei, Timmy Hung Tin-Ming, Xing Yu, Guk Fung, Philip Keung (left) Vanness Wu and Fan Siu-Wong, and (right) Sammo Hung makes some sauce in Kung Fu Chef. ![]()
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