Stephen Chow, the mastermind behind Shaolin Soccer, has done it again. Thankfully, he is getting a proper release and, as far as I know, little to no American-ification of his work.*

The film is a kung fu parody with really great kung fu. Chow comes from a comedy background, but made good choices when it comes to picking kung fu choreographers and actors. He also did a brilliant job of balancing the action with the funny.

Chow's characters, the good guys at least, are typically regular joes; people who live average lives but have a secret talent. This works amazingly well, just as it has for decades in comic books. Unlike Sin City, it's easy to connect to the characters because of their unremarkable positions in society. I know more landlords than I do freakishly huge bouncers who revel in ripping off men's genitals, but it's possible I'm alone there.

Kung Fu Hustle is a ton of fun. My only complaint, which is forgiveable but somewhat signficant, is the lack of a true protagonist with a clear goal. Although Stephen Chow's character emerges as the hero, I initially disliked him and wasn't able to get behind him until halfway through the movie. Also, people who you thought would be heroes early on, end up leaving the forefront. This might have been less of a problem in Chow's native Hong Kong, where everyone knows him well. Still, this didn't stop me from being glued to the screen at 10:30am on only four hours of sleep.

The movie will be in theaters on Friday.

*Shaolin Soccer was cut by 30 minutes in the barely released U.S. version.