Cult Parody Flick 'Kung Pow' Getting a Sequel!

Thirteen years is something less than a millisecond when you think about how life works within the confines of the grand cosmic calendar. Well, I live in Florida and not the blasted cosmic calendar, and I say that thirteen years is not only an unlucky amount of time, but a long one at that.

But forgive me as I haven’t even asked you how your day is going. That’s great to hear. Anyway, the subject of the above mini-rant is the amount of time that has passed since Kung Pow: Enter the Fist was birthed into the hearts and minds of dozens of moviegoers across the world...

Yes, if you read the title of this article before you clicked on it, then you currently possess the knowledge that Steve Oedekerk is moving ahead with plans to create a sequel to his 2002 cult classic. There’s no further details yet as to what the sequel will be about, but I imagine the format will remain the same. The original film consisted of Mr. Oedekerk digitally inserting himself into an old kung fu movie and dubbing over all of the speaking parts with his own voice. This type of parody was attempted back in the '70s by Woody Allen in a film called What’s Up Tiger, Tiger Lily?. Kung Pow: Enter the Fist didn’t perform very well at the box office (not even thinking of baseball helped), but it did acquire a cult status when it went to DVD.

So, does this news of a sequel rate some rejoicing and gladness? Well, I guess it depends on your perspective, but I for one am at least curious. I was but a teenager back when the first film was released, and like all teens, there was much in the world that I was giggling at that probably didn’t warrant any sort of giggling whatsoever. But even now, I look back at the film and can point out several moments that still make me chuckle. Scenes of characters referring to themselves as Betty, mumbling about Neosporin, and creepily massaging wounds still float about in the cranium of Yours Truly and I guess are odd testaments to the film’s surprising staying power. Oh sure, the whole movie is rather absurd, but it’s mission statement (to make silly jokes at the expense of a film and its entire genre) was a simple one, and while there are loftier goals in life, I think that Mr. Oedekerk was successful in his little venture.

Stay tuned for more Kung Pow-based news as it unfolds. (Your clothes are blue)

(Screenshot via YouTube)

- Greg McIver, YH Staff