An absolutely hilarious comedy/kung fu outing for Jackie Chan and Lo Wei which has one of the most bizarre premises I've seen in a Hong Kong movie (and there are a lot, trust me). The story goes that a sacred book containing instructions for the deadly Seven Fist technique is stolen from the Shaolin Temple by bad guys and used to train a new super fighter. Years later, a meteorite (a sparkler on a wire) hits the Temple and unearths a long-lost book containing the art of the Five Fist technique, the only technique powerful enough to beat the Seven Fist fighter. The book is found by a lowly student (played, of course, by Jackie Chan), who learns the arts and finally takes on all of the bad guys come the finale.
Sounds straightforward enough, doesn't it? Well if you thought so, you'd be right. The plot has been done a million times in countless kung fu films and aside from the cheesy dubbing – always amusing, especially when solemn Shaolin monks are concerned – the plot is pretty forgettable stuff. Things benefit hugely from Chan's starring role and there are some fantastic fight scenes in the film, especially towards the end when all hell breaks loose. In fact the film gets more violent and brutal as it progresses, ending in a massive bloody battle, excellent filmed by the innovative Lo Wei who often breaks the fourth wall by having Chan and co. punching and kicking into the camera.
But where the film really hits the mark is in the comedy antics of the five ghosts who help train Chan up on his new style. The ghosts are simply a bunch of guys (one of them apparently played by Yuen Biao) in white face paint and sparkly skirts (not forgetting the red clown wigs) who play around like kids and do stupid stuff. If you're a fan of lowbrow Chinese humour then you'll have a field day with the antics that Chan and his ghostly companions get up to – my favourite scenes are the "I'm not queer!" trouser-pulling and the side-splitting moment where Jackie urinates on the (miniature) ghosts. It certainly wins points for originality in any case. Despite the ultra-cheap budget, pitiful effects work and predictable narrative, KARATE GHOSTBUSTER is a whole heap of fun and provides some of the best laughs I've had in ages. Forget those insipid teen comedies, this is the real deal.
Sounds straightforward enough, doesn't it? Well if you thought so, you'd be right. The plot has been done a million times in countless kung fu films and aside from the cheesy dubbing – always amusing, especially when solemn Shaolin monks are concerned – the plot is pretty forgettable stuff. Things benefit hugely from Chan's starring role and there are some fantastic fight scenes in the film, especially towards the end when all hell breaks loose. In fact the film gets more violent and brutal as it progresses, ending in a massive bloody battle, excellent filmed by the innovative Lo Wei who often breaks the fourth wall by having Chan and co. punching and kicking into the camera.
But where the film really hits the mark is in the comedy antics of the five ghosts who help train Chan up on his new style. The ghosts are simply a bunch of guys (one of them apparently played by Yuen Biao) in white face paint and sparkly skirts (not forgetting the red clown wigs) who play around like kids and do stupid stuff. If you're a fan of lowbrow Chinese humour then you'll have a field day with the antics that Chan and his ghostly companions get up to – my favourite scenes are the "I'm not queer!" trouser-pulling and the side-splitting moment where Jackie urinates on the (miniature) ghosts. It certainly wins points for originality in any case. Despite the ultra-cheap budget, pitiful effects work and predictable narrative, KARATE GHOSTBUSTER is a whole heap of fun and provides some of the best laughs I've had in ages. Forget those insipid teen comedies, this is the real deal.