After the commercial success of Star Overseas' Shaolin Soccer, Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia along with Star Overseas began to develop Kung Fu Hustle in 2002. Although the film features the return of a number of retired actors famous for 1970s Hong Kong action cinema, it contrasts with other martial arts films released at around the same time that have made the biggest impact in the West, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. The cartoon style of the film, accompanied by traditional Chinese music, is often cited as its most striking feature.
The film was released on 23 December 2004 in China and on 25 January 2005 in the United States. It received extremely positive reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 90% fresh rating and Metacritic 78 out of 100. The film was also a commercial success, grossing US$17 million in North America and US$84 million in other countries. Kung Fu Hustle was the highest-grossing film in the history of Hong Kong[9] until it was surpassed by You Are the Apple of My Eye on 31 December 2011. The film was the all-time tenth highest-grossing foreign language film in the United States and also the highest-grossing foreign language film in the country in 2005.[12] Kung Fu Hustle won numerous awards, including 6 Hong Kong Film Awards and 5 Golden Horse Awards.
Turmoil grips Shanghai in the 1930s. Various gangs vie for power, the most feared of which is the Axe Gang, led by Brother Sum. One day, two troublemakers, Sing and Bone, come to the Pig Sty alley, impersonating members of the Axe Gang to gain respect. Their plan fails, and Sing's antics attract the real gang to the scene. In the massive brawl that ensues, more than fifty gangsters are defeated by three tenants who are martial arts masters.
After the fight, Sing and Bone are apprehended by Brother Sum for publicly humiliating the Axe Gang. They request Sum to let him and Bone join the gang. The next day, the duo return to Pig Sty attempting to murder the Landlady, but their efforts fail. Sing is badly injured and hides in a traffic control pulpit, where his multiple injuries spontaneously heal.
Sing describes his childhood: he buys a Buddhist Palm manual from a beggar and trained himself to be a martial artist. But when he tried to defend a mute girl from bullies, he was beaten up and humiliated. Sing then steals ice cream from a street vendor. Meanwhile, Sum hires the Harpists Killers to assassinate the three martial artists at Pig Sty. They succeed, but are defeated by the Landlady and Landlord. Sing mugs the ice cream vendor, only to realise she is the mute girl from his childhood. Sing is picked up by the Axe Gang and Sum orders him to break into a mental asylum to free the Beast. The Beast confronts the Landlady and Landlord at the casino and Sing rushes in to help them but they had to flee. Sum angrily blames The Beast for letting them escape, and The Beast casually kills Sum in response. At Pig Sty Alley, Sing undergoes a metamorphosis. He quickly recovers from his wounds. He easily defeats the Axe Gang before confronting the Beast. A battle ensues, and the Beast uses his Toad Technique to send Sing rocketing into the sky. As he falls back to earth, Sing delivers the Buddhist Palm to defeat the Beast.
Some time later, Sing and Bone open a lollipop store. When the mute ice cream vendor walks by, Sing goes out to meet her, and they turn back into kids and quickly reconcile. The same beggar tries to sell a young boy several martial arts books. The child stares, intrigued.
