Movie Review: Kung Fury(2015)

Several sequels and reboots for popular film series from the past, including continuations of Mad Max, The Terminator, and Jurassic Park, were released in theaters this summer. However, Kung Fury, an independent original short film with a similar nostalgic subject, was released before any of these. The half-hour film, directed and written by Swedish director David Sandberg, is a comedic homage to the legendary actor and martial arts films that once dominated the big screen. 

The film is set in an alternate 1985 in which the laws of reality are rarely applied. The story follows Kung Fury (Sandberg), a Miami officer who, after seeing his partner's death at the hands of a renegade ninja, is struck by lightning and bitten by a snake, giving him tremendous kung fu abilities. He promises to utilize his new talents to destroy all crime and evil after slaying his partner's killer.

When a time-traveling Adolf Hitler (Jorma Taccone, The Lego Movie) emerges in the present and attacks the city, he intends to change the past and murder Kung Fury, the only man prophesied to beat him. Kung Fury enlists the help of his new companion Triceracop (Triceratops) and computer whiz Hackerman to combat this new menace (Leopold Nilsson). They must fight across time together to prevent Hitler and his army of evil from conquering the world.

Kung Fury was made as a parody to 1980s movies, and it has stereotyped street punks, arcades, intense hacking, a retro-synthwave musical composition, and even a cameo by David Hasselhoff (Knight Rider) as the Hoff 9000 computer in Kung Fury's Lamborghini. The style is evocative of the era's raw action films, with plenty of over-the-top explosions, gravity-defying martial arts stunts, constant action, and humorous one-liners.

 

Sandberg, who is most known for his work on commercials and music videos, was inspired to produce Kung Fury in 2012 by the movies he grew up watching. Despite the fact that the project was fully crowdfunded, he was able to raise an astonishing $630,000 for it. Because of the restricted budget, the majority of the special effects were created with CGI, yet Sandberg makes amazing use of current technology to create a distinct and appealing world in each scene. Practical effects and miniatures were also employed, and the sharpness of the picture was lowered and increased at points to give it the appearance of ancient VHS footage.

Officially released on May 28th, Kung Fury received heavily positive reviews, with many critics praising its sentimental appeal. It was so popular, in fact, that Sandberg is currently working to reshoot it into a full-length feature film for a future theatrical release. In the meantime, if you have access to YouTube (on which the entire film has been made available for free), are a fan of old-style action, and want thirty minutes of hysterical gung-ho adventure, then grab your Ray-Bans and give Kung Fury a try.