View source for Kung Pow! Enter the Fist

{{short description|2002 film by Steve Oedekerk}}
{{redirect|Kung Pow|the foodstuff|Kung Pao chicken|the Chinese newspaper|Ta Kung Pao}}
{{lead extra info|date=November 2021}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Kung Pow! Enter the Fist
| image          = Kungpow.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Steve Oedekerk]]
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* Steve Oedekerk
* Tom Koranda
* Paul Marshal
}}
| writer         = Steve Oedekerk
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* Steve Oedekerk
* Jennifer Tung
* Leo Lee
}}
| music          = [[Robert Folk]]
| cinematography = John J. Connor
| editing        = Paul Marshal
| studio         = [[O Entertainment]]
| distributor    = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released       = {{film date|2002|1|25}}
| runtime        = 81 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 81:35--><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/kung-pow-enter-fist-film | title=''Kung Pow - Enter the Fist'' | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | access-date=May 27, 2017}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $10 million
| gross          = $17 million<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Kung-Pow-Enter-the-Fist#tab=summary|title=Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)|publisher=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=January 1, 2016}}</ref>
}}
'''''Kung Pow! Enter the Fist''''' is a 2002 American [[Martial arts film|martial arts]] [[comedy film]] that parodies [[Hong Kong action cinema]]. Written, directed by and starring [[Steve Oedekerk]], it uses footage from the 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film ''[[Tiger & Crane Fists]]'' (also called ''The Savage Killers'') starring and directed by [[Jimmy Wang Yu]], along with new footage shot by Oedekerk, who is also digitally inserted over Wang in many scenes, to create an original, unrelated plot.
Despite a negative critical reception, the film was a moderate box office success, grossing $17 million worldwide against a $10 million budget. It has since been considered a [[cult classic]] for its off-the-wall humor and parodying of various [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbing]] tropes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.joblo.com/awfully-good-kung-pow-enter-the-fist/ | title=Kung Pow!: Enter the Fist - Awfully Good | date=March 19, 2020 }}</ref>
==Plot==
A man, called [[The Chosen One (trope)|The Chosen One]] by the narrator, wanders from town to town to search for the man who killed his family and tried to kill him when he was a baby. In one town, he meets Master Tang, a very ill and slightly deranged [[sifu]], and asks Tang to help him improve his already impressive martial arts ability. Master Tang is skeptical at first, but after seeing The Chosen One's mark (his sentient tongue, which he names Tonguey), he allows him to train at his dojo. The Chosen One is introduced to two other students: Wimp Lo, a young man who was deliberately trained incorrectly as a joke, and Ling, a young woman who has romantic feelings for The Chosen One.
While training, The Chosen One shows cartoon-like feats of strength, and Wimp Lo deems him an enemy out of jealousy. Upon learning that Master Pain, the man who killed his parents, has just arrived in town, The Chosen One prepares to confront him. Master Pain draws a crowd and demonstrates his skills. He lets his henchmen hit him repeatedly with [[Bō]] staffs all over his body and groin, then subdues them all in one move. Impressed by Master Pain's skills, the town's mayor hires him, and Master Pain randomly changes his name to Betty. The Chosen One attempts to train himself by letting people hit him with bō staffs, but is knocked out after being hit. When he wakes up, a mysterious one-breasted woman named Whoa warns him not to rush to fight Betty. After flirtily fighting The Chosen One, Whoa flies off into the sky.
Ignoring Whoa's advice, The Chosen One sets off to find Betty. He comes across one of Betty's evil companions: Moo Nieu, a [[Holstein Friesian cattle|Holstein cow]] gifted in karate, with a large udder that can shoot milk as a weapon. The Chosen One eventually incapacitates Moo Nieu by milking her until her udder is empty. He sees Betty at a waterfall and confronts him. Master Doe, Ling's Father, shows up and tries to stop the unprepared Chosen One, and is wounded by Betty. The Chosen One takes Master Doe to Master Tang; it turns out they are old friends. However, as Tang massages Doe's wound, it does not close and Doe dies that night. Out of depression, Ling confesses her feelings for The Chosen One.
Confused, The Chosen One journeys out to a field and consults the heavens for confidence. Suddenly Mu-Shu Fasa, a [[lion]], appears in the sky and dispenses advice in a scene parodying a portion of ''[[The Lion King]]''. He returns to town and finds that Betty's hostility has expanded to the entire town, and they are killing anyone who may be his allies. He finds Wimp Lo, Ling, Master Tang and even his dog heavily maimed. However, except for Lo, they all survive. After taking Ling and his dog to safety, The Chosen One begins training himself. Discovering Betty's weak points are the pyramid spikes embedded in his chest, The Chosen One makes wooden dummies, embeds similar spikes onto their chests and attempts to pluck them out with his bare hands. His hands are battered and he is exhausted, but after Ling treats his wounds and gives an inspiring speech, he finds himself rejuvenated and successfully pulls off the attack.
Meanwhile, Betty is called by the mysterious Evil Council and learns that The Chosen One is alive. The Chosen One confronts Betty at the temple. They fight evenly, until the Evil Council shows up revealing themselves to be [[France|French]] aliens, and gives Betty supernatural powers. Betty viciously beats up The Chosen One, who, in a semi-unconscious state, sees visions of Whoa and Mu-Shu Fasa giving him advice. Mu-Shu instructs him to open his mouth. As soon as he does, Tonguey flies out and attacks and destroys the mother ship, causing the entire Evil Council armada to panic and retreat, leaving Betty vulnerable. The Chosen One eventually rips the pyramid spikes out of Betty's chest, killing him. As The Chosen One returns home with Ling, his tribulations are far from over, as presented in a trailer for a sequel, ''Kung Pow 2: Tongue of Fury'', that immediately follows the final scene.
In a [[post-credits scene]], Master Tang, who has been left behind, [[fourth wall|asks someone]] to help him from a hungry [[golden eagle]] eating his leg.
==Cast==
* [[Steve Oedekerk]] – The Chosen One
** [[Jimmy Wang Yu]] (archival footage)
** Alejandro Olazabal – The Chosen One as a baby
* Hui Lou Chen – Master Tang
* [[Wong Fei-lung|Fei Lung]] – Master Pain a.k.a. "Betty"
** Leo Lee – Young Master Pain
* [[Ling Ling Tse]] – Ling
* Lin Yan – Dying Ling
* [[Lau Kar-wing]] – Wimp Lo
* Banjo – Dog
* Jennifer Tung – Whoa
* Chi Ma – Master Doe
* [[Tad Horino]] – Chew Fat Lip
* Nasty Nes – [[Boombox]] Henchman
* Ming Lo – Father
* [[Peggy Lu]] – Mother
* Tori Tran – Peasant Woman
* Simon Rhee – Young Master Pain's Henchman
===Voiced-over characters===
In many scenes, [[Jimmy Wang Yu]], the lead actor in ''[[Tiger & Crane Fists]]'', was replaced by Oedekerk via post-production [[chroma key]] and [[digital compositing]] techniques such as head replacement. Oedekerk also re-dubbed all of the original cast's voices himself, inventing a different voice for every character. The only exception is the character of "Whoa", who was voiced by her actress, Jennifer Tung. During filming of their scenes, Oedekerk and Tung spoke nonsensical lines, which were later re-dubbed with the correct lines from the script, in order to maintain the appearance of poorly-dubbed foreign language consistent with the rest of the film.
==Reception==
{{expand section|date=September 2019}}
[[Review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports an approval rating of 13% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "A short sketch's worth of jokes stretched into a full-length feature."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kung_pow|title=Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=September 2, 2019}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] reports an average score of 14 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/kung-pow-enter-the-fist|title=Kung Pow: Enter the Fist Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=September 2, 2019}}</ref> At the 2002 [[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]], the film was nominated for Worst Picture and tied with ''[[The Master of Disguise]]'' for a win for Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Winners Database |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/2002/2002st.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815213025/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/2002/2002st.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 August 2007 |website=The Envelope at LA Times |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref>
''Kung Pow! Enter the Fist'' grossed a total of $17 million worldwide on a budget of $10 million.
==Future==
In a livestream on March 27, 2022, Oedekerk has stated that, while his original plan was for there to be a Kung Pow trilogy, discussions to make a sequel with [[20th Century Studios]] have not worked out. He also stated that he has thought of making a spiritual successor to the film using [[Spaghetti Westerns]] and/or [[Sword-and-sandal]] films.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2954&v=ZAxuhu8GjCo | title=Kung Pow! Enter the Fist 20th Anniversary: Pre show + Q&A with Steve Oedekerk and Jennifer Tung - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] | date=March 27, 2022 }}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0240468|title=Kung Pow: Enter the Fist}}
* {{AllMovie title|259128|Kung Pow! Enter the Fist}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=kung_pow|title=Kung Pow: Enter the Fist}}
* {{mojo title|id=kungpowenterthefist|title=Kung Pow: Enter the Fist}}
{{20th Century Studios theatrical animated features}}
{{Steve Oedekerk}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kung Pow! Enter The Fist}}
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:American parody films]]
[[Category:American martial arts comedy films]]
[[Category:Kung fu films]]
[[Category:2000s martial arts comedy films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Steve Oedekerk]]
[[Category:American slapstick comedy films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Steve Oedekerk]]
[[Category:Films scored by Robert Folk]]
[[Category:Alternative versions of films]]
[[Category:2002 martial arts films]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2002 comedy films]]
[[Category:Films set in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:2000s Cantonese-language films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:American films with live action and animation]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:American collage films]]
[[Category:English-language action comedy films]]