If you ever bought Kung Fu bootlegs or imports in the ‘90s, you’ll probably get a wave of nostalgia watching Circus Kids. First off, as you can see, the title on the box is “Circus Kid”, but the onscreen title is actually “Circus Kids”. Yep, that’s the first indication you’re in for something special. Like most Kung Fu films from grey area markets, Circus Kids is subtitled AND dubbed. This of course adds to the overall experience and offers up plenty of laughs. For example, the subtitles referred to our hero as “Brother Tung”, while the dubbing identifies him as “Louie”. And some of the mistranslated lines of dialogue are downright hilarious. I could write a review that was nothing but a dictation of wrongly translated lines of dialogue. Instead, I’ll just give you my favorite mistranslated line: “I don’t give a damn!”, which is translated in the subtitles as “You’re finding faults in me!”
It’s WWII and Japan bombs a Chinese circus tent ran by Yuen Biao’s family. Without a job, the clan migrates to Canton to work in a cigarette factory. Yuen’s sister falls in love with a policeman, played by Donnie Yen, who is investigating an opium smuggling ring. When Yuen’s brother dies of an opium overdose, the family bands together and uses their acrobatic skills to take the bad guys down.
I’ve never been what you would call a “Circus Guy”. The only time I went to the circus as a kid, I pretty much hated it. But I am a “Kung Fu Guy” and any movie featuring Yuen Biao and Donnie Yen is enough to get my attention, no matter what the subject matter.
It doesn’t hurt that the film features wall-to-wall action. And sometimes it’s wall-to-wall-and-then-someone-goes-THROU GH-the-wall action. Biao and Yen have a good fight scene together and there are several instances where Biao shoots out elastic bands from his sleeves and slings around like Spider-Man. But it’s Biao’s younger siblings that steal the movie. I liked the part where the kids shout out names of famous action stars like “Bruce Lee!” and “Jackie Chan!” when they hit someone. (Even though the flick takes place in the ‘40s, but never mind.) The kids even get their own Home Alone-inspired fight scene too. But the finale where the whole family gets into the proverbial act is spectacular.
Overall, Circus Kids is a total blast. It’s one of the best Thrift Store finds I’ve made and It’s one of Biao and Yen’s best. If you’re a fan of either man, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Next week’s Thrift Store movie is another Kung Fu flick: Deadly Besiegers!
Source:
http://thevideovacuum.livejournal.com/1346401.html