Kung Fury started out as a small movie project by a couple of guys from Umeå, Sweden, who wanted to create a classic 80's themed cop comedy, with tons of action, goofiness, and computer animation. The group uploaded a trailer, and set the goal for about 200 thousand dollars, which was met in less than 24 hours. A total of 180 thousand people have donated, and last week, in Cane's grand movie festival, the fruit of all the money was presented in this 30 minute long mini movie. Today, the rest of us got to see this through a couple of mediums (I myself watched it in the Swedish television channel SVT2).
The 80's called, they want their spoilers back
The movie is set in Miami, Florida, in the 80's. For those of you who do not remember that time (or like me, was not born in it), it was a time where the arcade systems, the neon lights, and the over the top, butt ugly hair cuts and clothing styles ruled. When it comes to metal, this was the age for glam metal bands, such as Mötley Crüe, Poison, Skid Row and more. A genre I have always despised fairly much, mostly because the dudes in those bands mostly were in it for the chicks and fame, and not for the music, which is ultimately why the genre itself did not last very long. Wait, did I just turn this movie review into a rant about glam metal? Shit, let me get back on track.
Anyway, we meet the hero of the movie, Kung Fury (played by David Sandberg, the leader of the project), when he gets called in to stop a giant arcade robot who has gone completely mad, shooting people and flipping them off. A epic fighting scene that of course ends with a corny, but still funny punch line (not gonna spoil it, but I think you can easily guess what he said). We also get the back story of how this seemingly normal cop became the chosen one, the only man to ever master the art of kung fury. However, he is still working in the force, and gets the classic lecture that he has to follow the rules and not smash the city into smithereens when saving it.
The story really gets serious when a nazi-German suddenly calls the chief of police, then starts shooting the entire police office through the phone. It makes no sense, but it is kind of the whole point with this movie. Kung Fury knows exactly who did this, it is the infamous leader Adolf Hitler who did it, and is in search of Kung Fury to kill him, so Adolf himself can become Kung Fury. This leads Kung Fury to a epic adventure where he travels back in time through hacking, in where he meets up with Thor (not the Marvel Thor, the actual, muscular, viking Thor), Barbarianna and Katana, and later goes to Nazi Germany to once and for all take down the Kung Führer.
The story itself is wacky, but there are tons of other stuff in this movie that are out right insane. The acting is not anywhere near top class, but the cheesiness that the actors incorporate (especially David) fits the mood perfectly. They act like they are ultra serious, but still have that non-serious side that is so typical action comedies like The Naked Gun and Loaded Weapon. The computer animations are actually pretty cool, especially since the guys really made it look like it really was made in the 80's. But the best part of the movie is of course the various action scenes that are just so ridiculous that they leave you speechless. They are all incredibly insane, especially the one where Kung Fury fights off endless nazi soldiers.
Because of the attention the project has gotten, several celebrities have joined in the project to make it what it is today. The most famous one is without a doubt David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff, he sings the main theme to the movie and makes a small cameo in the ending. Other notable famous faces are Saturday Night Live star Jorms Taccone, and the Swedish comedians Magnus Betnér and Björn Gustafsson. They all did a good job in their parts, and fortunately, they did not take over completely, making the movie more about them than the story.
I can honestly say that I highly enjoyed this movie, only because there is no other movie like this in this day and age. The guys did a great job in empersonating the 80's in so many ways, even if the movie mocks it to some extent. The attention the whole project has gotten has been well deserved and I believe that all of the donors must be proud of what they all have done, helping a bunch of guys fulfilling their ultimate tribute to a movie genre that was almost forgotten. Long live the Kung Fury.
Rating: 8,5/10 Killer Arcade Robots who flips fingers at everyone in their way
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