Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)

Director:

Steve Oedekerk

Writer (WGA):

Steve Oedekerk (written by)

Release Date:

25 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Plot:

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist is a movie within a movie, created to spoof the martial arts genre. Writer/director...

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Kung Fu | Spoof | Chosen One | English Subtitles In Original

Cast

Steve Oedekerk	...	Chosen One / Dubbed Voices
Fei Lung	...	Master Pain (Betty) (archive footage)
Leo Lee	...	Young Master Pain (archive footage)
Ling Ling Tse	...	Ling (archive footage)
Lin Yan	...	Dying Ling
Chia Yung Liu	...	Wimp Lo (archive footage) (as Lau Kar Wing)
Hui Lou Chen	...	Master Tang (archive footage)
Chi Ma	...	Master Doe (archive footage)
Jennifer Tung	...	Whoa
Lo Ming	...	Father
Peggy Lu	...	Mother
Tad Horino	...	Chew Fat Lip
Tori Tran	...	Peasant Woman
Simon Rhee	...	Young Master Pain's Henchman
Joon B. Kim	...	Henchman #2
Philip Tan	...	Grilled Face Fighter
Nasty Nes	...	Boom Box Henchman
Chad Stahelski	...	Masked Fighter
Michael Li	...	Stick Fighter #1
Jen Sung Outerbridge	...	Stick Fighter #2
Al Goto	...	Stick Fighter #3
Will Leong	...	Stick Fighter #4
Woon	...	Lone Fighter
Hiro Koda	...	Gang Fighter #1
Ron Yuan	...	Gang Fighter #2
David Wald	...	Gang Fighter #3
John Koyama	...	Gang Fighter #4
Johnny Eusebio	...	Gang Fighter #5
Marcus Young	...	Gang Fighter with Hole in Stomach
Elsa Cancino	...	Bikini Fighter
James Wing Woo	...	Martial Arts Master #1 (archive footage)
Charles Park	...	Martial Arts Master #2
Cary Y. Mizobe	...	Martial Arts Master #3
Alejandro Olazabal	...	Chosen One Baby
Paulina Guerrero	...	Chosen One's Sister
Emanuel Kohakura	...	Chosen One's Brother
Ivan Nakamura	...	Crane Student #1
Óscar Carrillo	...	Crane Student #2
Mu Shu Fasa	...	Himself
Chun Lei	...	Hu He Shuang Xing Cast (archive footage)
Fu Chiang Chi	...	Hu He Shuang Xing Cast (archive footage)
Sung Chao Yu	...	Hu He Shuang Xing Cast (archive footage)
Ho Wu	...	Hu He Shuang Xing Cast (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Kwok	...	Ventriloquist (archive footage) (uncredited)
Woon Young Park	...	Lone Fighter (uncredited)
Yu Wang	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Steve Oedekerk

Writing credits (WGA)
Steve Oedekerk		(written by)

Produced by
Bruce Devan	....	co-producer
Tom Koranda	....	producer
Paul Marshal	....	producer
Steve Oedekerk	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Folk

Cinematography by
John J. Connor

Film Editing by
Paul Marshal

Casting by
Linda Francis

Production Design by
Sean Mannion
Hector Velez

Set Decoration by
Verónica Baena Arellano
Pachilu Moreno

Costume Design by
Shawnelle Cherry

Makeup Department
Alexandrea A. Bouska	....	makeup artist: Fox Baja
Annie Maniscalco	....	key makeup artist: fox baja crew
Heather Plott	....	makeup artist: California
R.J. McCasland	....	makeup artist: Fox Baja (uncredited)

Production Management
Iram Collantes	....	production manager: Mexico
Bonnie Foley	....	production supervisor
John Laus	....	post-production supervisor
Brent Morris	....	unit production manager
Todd Portugal	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Gunther	....	second unit director
Tony Schwartz	....	second assistant director
Douglas E. Wise	....	first assistant director
Steve Wang	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Aimee Dominguez	....	property master
Star Fields	....	construction coordinator
Daniel Herrera Arau	....	set dresser
Jaime Herrera V.	....	swing gang set dresser
Tony Perez	....	prop assistant

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Odin Benitez	....	sound effects editor
Robert Fitzgerald	....	sound effects editor
David Grimaldi	....	sound designer
Aleksandr Gruzdev	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Hilkene	....	supervising sound editor
William Levins	....	predub mixer
Linda Lew	....	foley recordist
Daniel Nakamura	....	sound recordist
Matthew Nicolay	....	production sound mixer
William Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Vicari	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Luis Alvarez	....	special effects technician
Lance Armstrong	....	special effects
Andy Clement	....	special prosthetic makeup effects

Visual Effects by
Allan Arinduque	....	animation rigger
Jeffrey Arnold	....	digital compositor
Hunter Athey	....	character animator
Lyndon Barrois	....	CG animation director
Elissa Bello	....	digital painter
Suzanne Berger	....	digital compositor
Brian Blevins	....	visual effects
Bruce Branit	....	visual effects
Shawn Broes	....	digital imaging editor
Christopher Campbell	....	visual effects editor
Jim Carbonetti	....	digital compositor
Joe Clasen	....	visual effects
Greg Connell	....	digital artist
Brandon Criswell	....	junior compositor extraordinaire
Michael Flynn	....	visual effects assistant editor
Bill Georgiou	....	digital artist
Jeremy Hunt	....	visual effects
Susan Ishida	....	character animator
Susan Ishida	....	character modeller
Gary Jackemuk	....	digital compositor
John Lafauce	....	digital compositor
Jeff Lew	....	character animator
Jeff Lew	....	cow animation previs
Dawn Brooks Macleod	....	visual effects production assistant
Lisa Maher	....	film and data I/O supervisor
Wolfgang Maschin	....	motion control camera operator
Ren Messer	....	visual effects coordinator
Julie Orosz	....	visual effects producer
Betsy Paterson	....	digital effects supervisor
Ryan Pollreisz	....	visual effects production assistant
John Rauh	....	digital compositor
Garrett Reese	....	visual effects
Adam Rote	....	digital effects compositor
Rebecca Ruether	....	character animator
Todd Sarsfield	....	datacine assistant
Brian Thomas	....	technical manager
Chris Watts	....	visual effects supervisor
Charlie Winter	....	visual effects
Jackson Yu	....	digital I/O designer: Dubbed Films

Stunts
Todd Bryant	....	stunt coordinator
Jonathan Eusebio	....	stunts
Al Goto	....	stunts
Mike Gunther	....	stunts
Leigh Hennessy	....	stunt double: Jennifer Tung
Hiro Koda	....	stunts
John Koyama	....	stunts
Will Leong	....	stunts
James Lew	....	stunts
Chris Palermo	....	stunts
Simon Rhee	....	stunts
Chad Stahelski	....	stunts
David Wald	....	stunts
Marcus Young	....	stunts
Ron Yuan	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Alfonso Aguilar	....	gaffer
Matt Bardocz	....	gaffer (as Matthew Bardocz)
Ted Caloroso	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Luis Calva	....	grip
Hector Corona	....	best boy electric
Francisco Hernandez	....	second assistant camera
Oscar Inzunza	....	best boy electric
Craig Martin	....	electrician
Thomas McCarty	....	gaffer: Tonguey
Hilda Mercado	....	second assistant camera
Brian O'Connell	....	additional cinematographer
Zed Starkovich	....	electrician
Dempsey Tillman	....	video assist operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brandy Lusvardi	....	costumer (as Brandy Renfro)

Editorial Department
Mike DePrez	....	additional editor
John Laus	....	first assistant editor
Todd Portugal	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brian Benison	....	orchestrator
Jeff Carson	....	music supervisor
Curtis S.D. MacDonald	....	composer: stock music
Frankie Pine	....	music supervisor
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor
Peter Tomashek	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Matthew Ballard	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Matt Akey	....	assistant production coordinator
Todd Bryant	....	fight choreographer
Amy Carty	....	production assistant
Deborah Chen	....	wushu trainer: Steve Oedekerk
Eric Chen	....	wushu trainer: Steve Oedekerk
Mark Philip Escobar	....	production assistant
Luisa Gomez da Silva	....	shipping coordinator
Kevin Lawrence	....	personal trainer: Steve Oedekerk
Hilary Liu	....	executive assistant: Steve Oedekerk (as Hilary Backus-Liu)
Efrain Lomeli	....	accountant: Mexico
Efrain Lomeli	....	production accountant
Andrea Marvan	....	production coordinator: Mexico
Juan Jose Meza-Leon	....	on-set production assistant
David Monzingo	....	puppeteer
Victoria Panzarella	....	second assistant: Steve Oedekerk
Steve Sanchez	....	projectionist
Lorene Simpson	....	digital mastering coordinator: Cinesite
Andrew V. Stroscher	....	assistant: Tom Koranda and Paul Marshal
Yu Wang	....	director: original 1976 footage (uncredited)

Thanks
Yu Wang	....	special thanks (as Jimmy Wang Yu)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century Fox) (presents)
• O Entertainment

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2002) (Russia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (all media)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (Japan) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Chandler Group, The (visual effects photography)
• Cinesite (Hollywood) (digital imaging services)
• Dubbed Visual Effects (animation, effects and digital color)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes

Also Known As:

Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (USA) (video box title)
The Dubbed Action Movie: Enter the Fist (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for comic violence, crude and sexual humor.

Runtime:

81 min | Japan:82 min

Country:

USA | Hong Kong

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38378) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Spain:13 | UK:12 | Singapore:PG (original rating) | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Part of a scene in which Chosen and Ling's father are falling down a waterfall was filmed in Steve Oedekerk's swimming pool.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Wimp Lo first challenges the Chosen One, the background can be seen through his digital form.

Quotes:

Master Tang: [singing] Oh, Taco Bell, Taco Bell, product placement with Taco Bell. Enchirito...
Students: [joining in singing] Nacho, Burrito...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "My Gym Partner's a Monkey: Mongoosed/Mellow Fellows (#3.10)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Chicken Sweat

Surprisingly funny, but I don't think it merited a sequel!

Writer / director / star Steve Oedekerk did with this film the same thing Woody Allen once did with a film called "What's Up, Tiger Lily". He took an existing foreign film, an obscure martial arts movie called "Tiger and Crane Fists", added new dubbed voices to it (all of which he performed himself) as well as his own new footage, to fashion the story of loner (Oedekerk himself) who as an adult takes on the bad guy who murdered his parents as an infant.

I'll say one thing right off the bat - sure, it's extremely stupid. I grant you that. Yet I laughed a lot. I was surprised to find myself laughing so much. It almost reminds me of the basic idea behind "Mystery Science Theater 3000" as well as a recurring sketch on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?". I think it's an interesting idea - haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to add your commentary or voice-overs to a movie that you thought was stupid? "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist" emerges as a dumb but engaging parody although the only sour notes for me were the annoying voice Oedekerk used for the love interest and the ridiculous fight with the computer-generated cow that includes yet another parody of the fight scenes from "The Matrix". Let's give this a rest, already.

Still, like I said, it's time for Oedekerk to move on - there was no need to make a sequel.

I'm guessing but it may be the kind of comedy you will either find hilariously stupid or just plain stupid.

7/10