DVD Watch

King Kung Fu

Retromedia, $14.95

King Kung Fu tells the story of a Chinese-raised and -trained martial-arts gorilla who journeys to Kansas as a goodwill gesture between the United States and China. As part of a publicity stunt, Bo, portrayed by writer/director Lance Hayes, and his lackey, Herman, free the ape. Fu then kidnaps Bo's girlfriend, Rae Fay. Pursued by the police captain, J.W. Duke, who bears more than a passing resemblance to John Wayne, Fu eventually ascends with Fay the tallest building in Wichita: the Holiday Inn.

Production began on King Kung Fu in 1974. Due to financial constraints, it was not finished until 1987, though what exactly the money was spent on is unclear. This movie lacks even the rudimentary special effects of the cheapest B-movie clunker. The script makes little sense internally or externally. The actors, and I use the term loosely, display no range or comedic timing. The jokes borrow heavily from Benny Hill and Monty Python but lack the underlying understanding of even the most basic gallows humor. Thankfully, they used a man in a poorly rendered ape suit so that no gorillas were harmed or embarrassed during filming.

The DVD includes the theatrical trailer: The film apparently was shown in 11 movie houses across the country. It plays far better in a two-minute bite.

On IMDb.com, Producer Bob Walterscheid takes offense when others refer to King Kung Fu as the "Worst Film Ever." He should remain quiet and take his lumps. This bastard child of the Kung Fu television series, King Kong, and Benny Hill should have been stillborn in 1974.

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