Now available from Video Vengeance
The Kung Fu Rascals must rally to defeat the evil Bamboo Man and save their village.
Directed by Steve Wang, Kung Fu Rascals is a unique and fun take on the “must save our people” trope that incorporates martial arts (as the title implies) with practical effects that become a character (or a few) of their own. The story here is simple enough with some good bits and pieces, but it’s not a story that requires multiple viewings to be understood. This is a story that is for and of the ages, one that everyone and anyone can get into without too much difficulty. The story being simple should be assumed as boring or not worth watching, this is a classic story, one that is easy to follow with still a lot of characters and some good monster and kaiju mayhem thrown into the mix to entertain. Yes, it’s a bit chaotic and some will not like it, but for those who love the chaos and to have all kinds of fun bits throughout, this is a story for you.
The cast here is fun while clearly not necessarily the most experienced at acting. They give the best performances they can and while these may not be Oscar level performances, they are entertaining and sometimes that’s all a film really needs. The lead of Chen Chow Mein is played by director Steve Wang who does decent work with the action and comedy sides of his character, showing that he understands the material and what the film needs. Joining him are Troy Fromin as Lao Ze and Johnnie Saiko as Reepo, both of whom do decent work here most of the time with some scenes here and there that could have used another take or three. The cast as a whole is seemingly less experienced or less connected to the material than Wang, but everyone seems to be giving it their all and having a blast, so a few off performance choices are easily forgiven.
The special effects team here is definitely one of the stars of the film, giving the film some memorable characters and a kaiju-style golem-type character that brings it all together. Their work here is lovely and done in practical effects with a clear love for the fun stuff. With a team including folks like Screaming Mad George, Steve Wang, Eddie Wang, Jurgen Heimann, and so many more, this film has a stacked special effects department, and it shows on the screen. The practical effects alone are worth checking the film out.
Kung Fu Rascals is a lower budget, early 1990s special effects and martial arts heavy action comedy that is a lot of fun and totally entertaining. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Is it perfect for a random night watching films with friends? Absolutely. This is the kind of films that many are attempting to make these days to recapture the magic of the era and the fun of the stories told, but too few manage it. Kung Fun Rascals shows how it’s done and how it’s done right, and this new release is a solid one with a good transfer quality and sound quality as well as some extras worth checking out. The three short films by Steve Wang included are fun to watch to see the evolution of his skills and ideas leading up to Kung Fu Rascals as a feature film.