This movie was out for a very long time before I ever watched it because I was turned off by the name of the film. This is not your average low-budget martial arts film but rather, one of the best movies I have ever seen. Once again though, this movie is not in English that I am aware of, so you are going to need to read it.
The story follows two friends Sing and Bone, who are just kind of low-life con artists who try to intimidate people by pretending to be members of the notorious Axe Gang (bear with me, it sounds dumb I know.) These cons have not often worked out for them but then one day they make the horrible mistake of trying to score free haircuts in the slum that is actually called Pig Sty Alley.
The group of people in Pig Sty Alley including their ruthless landlady is actually one of the main focuses of the film because even though they all appear to be a bunch of poor and feeble inhabitants, they actually are hiding great power in their ranks. The landlady is one of the best characters in the film and even through translation, is extremely funny.
This is a Hong Kong film and appears to have had a massive budget because the special effects are extremely well-done. It is estimated that over 2/3 of the time spent on the film was spent choreographing and filming the fight sequences, which incorporate incredibly complicated wire work (I don't know what else to call it, think Crouching Tiger, or the Matrix.)
The fight scenes are a major draw to the movie, but the combination of great characters, a good story, and seriously funny situations make this a film that stays entertaining the whole way through. The transformation of Sing (played by Stephen Chow) from low-life loser to respectable hero throughout the movie is actually quite touching as well.
before, when he was trying to rip off the village
and after, defending the same village
Stephen Chow is a very gifted individual because he not only pulled off a great starring role but he also directed the movie, and helped write and produce it (I'm guessing he was a very busy boy in the early 2000's.)
Again, i don't think the trailer does the movie justice. You'll just have to take my word on this one
It won a ton of awards (in the Hong Kong Film Awards) including Best Picture and is ranked as the 28th best Chinese Language film of all time.
In your mind, is that reason enough to see it?