Kicking up a storm of laughter

• ***

Steven Chow stars in and directs “Kung Fu Hustle,” a disarming parody of “chop flicks,” those fast and furious martial arts workouts cloaked in the guise of big screen entertainment. The genre has moved over the decades from the early, oh-so-serious Bruce Lee epics toward the more tongue-in-cheek approach of Jackie Chan and over-the-top tributes such as Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” and the visually stunning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” One thing they all have in common is the mind-boggling kicks and flips that would make any superhero green with envy.

Chow plays the part of Sing, one of the poor inhabitants of “Pig Sty Alley,” a ratty, old apartment complex overseen by two questionable characters known only as “Landlady” (Yuen Ki) and “Landlord (Yuen Wah). Along with his friend and sidekick (Lamb Tze Chung), Sing decides to con one of the local merchants, a hairdresser of sorts, into believing he and Chung are part of the dreaded Axe Gang. Their ruse does little for their own advancement, but serves to get the movie rolling toward the obligatory battle of the Masters involving stunts galore.

Brother Sum (Chan Kwok Kwan), heads the Axe Gang, an army of black-suited villains reminiscent of the “Crazy 88’s” from “Kill Bill,” who have a flair for “groovy” choreography and handling axes. A resurgence of some old Masters, a surprise too good to spoil, brings out the Axe Gang in full force. Soon, the fearsome gang are hobbling away from the fight and licking their wounds. It is at this point that they decide to unleash the greatest Master of them all, The Beast.

Having been committed to an insane asylum years earlier, The Beast (Leung Siu Yung), looks like an old man, but still has more power in his punch than a dozen Axe boys. Superhuman feats of Kung Fu escalate toward the ridiculous with visually stunning results. The underdog’s struggle is the basic tale told here, given new life by a gifted and stylish director.

Chow is currently the biggest comedy star in Asia. This film could soon lead to worldwide acclaim for Chow and give Jackie Chan a run for his money. The Hong Kong genre he is credited with spawning, “Mo Lei Tau, ” nonsense comedy, has helped to keep alive a branch of filmmaking that celebrates Eastern traditions of honor, courage and inner strength, while adding a much needed element of humor and flat out silliness.

Deceptively simple in its conception, “Kung Fu Hustle” is jam-packed with visual style, solid supporting performances, and plenty of laughs. The only thing American audiences may find off-putting is the use of subtitles. It can be a bit distracting when you are trying to take in all the action up on the screen. However, with repeated viewings, this will be less of a problem. I, for one, plan on seeing this movie again and again over the coming years. A really solid comedy is good for what ails you, no matter what country it comes from.