“Half a Loaf of Kung Fu” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Chan Chi Hwa
Cast: Jackie Chan, James Tien Chun, Doris Lung Chung Erh, Gam Ching Lan, Kam Kong, Lee Hoi Lung, Miu Tin, Dean Shek Tien, Julie Lee Chi Lun, Che Dei
Running Time: 92 min.
By Stockton22
And so the debate rages on. Is this movie a flawed but entertaining transition film, or a completely forgettable mess? Well, I have to say that with a starting point of low expectations, I enjoyed this one, but it’s clearly the work of someone who’s still honing his craft. Well, we all have to start somewhere. This Lo Wei production is actually the first time he let Jackie have creative control over a film project. In fact, Lo thought so highly of Jackie’s artistic vision that he refused to release the film (until Jackie became a star a few years later of course). And it really wasn’t too much of a loss. Much of the attempts at humor are quite feeble, revolving around guys who stutter, twitch, pass gas and all the other sophisticated stuff you’d see in a “USA Up All Night movie” (xcept without nude scenes that need to be cut out which rob those flicks of their only purpose).
As with much of the period, the funniest bits are the ones that aren’t supposed to be funny. Why does it take the thieves in the restaurant about half a day to figure out that Jackie robbed them, when he patted them down minutes before they realized their money was gone? Well, presumably, the thief used the same powers of deduction figuring out that one as he did when he chose to wear the gold lamé cape (unless he was planing to make a stop at Studio 54 afterwards). Well, I could be exaggerating about the time frame. After all, time passes very quickly in the land of Half a Loaf. Anyone else notice that when Jackie first sees the real Whip Hero, it’s nighttime, then they’re in daylight a minute later?
Anytime a film has the same production values as Plan 9 from Outer Space, it’s time to throw in another buck or two. But my favorite line is from the bad guy who was pretending to be good until his cover’s blown. “From now on, I’m gonna act like my real self.” I couldn’t tell if he needed a better script writer or a psychiatrist. What the movie has going for it, is with Jackie himself directing the fighting, their actually is some very entertaining action. True, the biggest drawback is that since Jackie plays a guy who doesn’t really know how to fight, guess what? Jackie doesn’t fight much in the movie! But Jackie give the rest of the cast plenty of jammin’ to do, and they do it well. They even had that guy who played meanie-jerkoff-can’t-do-so-he-teaches-dude-who-hates-Jackie from Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master.
He can really fight! And it was cool to see him play a nice guy for a change (even though it was actually before those other ones). Still, Jackie learns to fight in time for the big finale, and it’s actually one of the better group rumbles that I’ve seen in a 70’s chopsocky flick. It includes everything from fighting babes, wigs used like nunchucks (that’s right, you gotta see that), and a pretty neat sequence where Jackie has to learn techniques on the spot from pages from an instruction book scattered on the ground during the big one on one showdown. But my biggest question about that one is, the rest of the enemies are gone, and all the good guys just stand and watch while the guy who couldn’t even fight half an hour ago (Like in Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, Jackie learns fast) fights for his life against an evil master. Hello! A little help please!
Just one last question. The bum who teaches Jackie various styles makes me wonder, in these old chopsocky flicks, why are all the good kung fu masters beggars? They got some pretty talented vagabonds over in that country. Well, I guess kung fu mastery wasn’t a growth industry. No union, no job security, no comprehensive dental plan. Good thing the bums here in New York City aren’t like that, they’d probably get a little more insistent when they’re holding those ATM machine doors. On the other hand, with one of those guys on every corner you’d really see crime drop. Or not, people don’t really fight in the city (’cause people have guns here).
Stockton22’s Rating: 5/10
By JJ Hatfield
It has been said by a few sources that this movie was the beginning of Jackie Chan’s “comedy”. Well, if that much is true, thank goodness it was the beginning and he did improve! The director, Chan Chi Hwa allowed (or the Lo Wei company was passed out somewhere) Jackie to get some pay-back time on screen. The writer, Tang Ming Chi, didn’t seem to know what to so with this story, except insert bad jokes.
The movie begins with the well known black screen with Jackie mocking as many kung fu movies as possible. Shaolin and the monks… Jackie chopping wood… oh just about anything ever done including learning kung fu from a beggar and a book.
The title might have been better as Half a Load Of Kung Fu.
Unfortunately I just didn’t find it amusing. I’m sure Jackie was tired of making such films but why would he think we need one more? There is a bit more to the bare bones plot including Jackie still learning kung fu while taking on an escort assignment.
Some people enjoy this movie, and that’s good: someone likes this movie.
As for this reviewer, especially watching it again, I just did not find much to entertain.
JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 2/10
By Tyler
A very hammey and comedic film, and it’s from Lo Wei. I couldn’t believe Lo Wei would allow Jackie to do a comedic film, I thought Lo Wei was hung-up on “the next Bruce Lee crap.” I guess Lo Wei finally gave in, and let Jackie do his own thing. Well I bought this film from Simitar digitally remastered, and it also had an exclusive interview with Chan after the movie. I give Simitar a big plus for the remastering. Well, enough bragging on Simitar, the movie is basically a corny cheese ride through ancient China, yet a lot of fun. I laughed at the popeye scene when Jackie is dreaming. Down below I listed some of the highlights of Half a Loaf of Kung Fu.
- One wig nunchucks
- Egg throwing Kung Fu
- Bird flying Jackie
- Popeye Kung Fu
- Whip Wielding guy
- Pink hair guy
- Farting beggar
- Jackie Urinating
- Bird sounds
- Mop Top hair cuts
- Fat gut bending bar
- Mustache ripping
Tyler’s Rating: 7/10
By James H.
Somewhere I heard, or someone told me that this was Jackie’s first hit film. While being one of the best Lo Wei productions, it’s still a really bad movie. Maybe it was the dubbing (isn’t dubbing always the scapegoat? Well I guess subtitles can be too), but I didn’t really enjoy this movie. Although, it did have its moments. Unfortunately, those moments were at the beginning and at the end (go figure). Don’t get me wrong, it was a good attempt to mix action and comedy, but it just didn’t really work out. I thought that it was trying to be more of a comedy than a kung fu flick. But really, you can’t expect much from a movie called “Half a Loaf of Kung Fu?” And in my opinion, that’s what you get.
James H’s Rating: 5/10
By Marcia
The first time I saw this, having had a friend recommend it highly, all I could think was, “God, this is stupid!” By my next viewing, however, I’d seen many more of Jackie’s films and the sheer satire of it all had me rolling on the floor (of course, I did also have a couple beers in me…). Since one of the things which has always appealed to me most about Jackie’s early films is the training sequences, my absolute favorite part of Half a Loaf is when he’s going through his practice session and stops to go check out his notes before continuing. The entire film is non-stop self-mockery of the whole kung fu genre. Approach it as a film making fun of films, and you’ll love it.
Marcia’s Rating: 8/10
