Kung Fu Dunk

Jay Chou plays Fang Shi-Jie, a martial art prodigy who is transformed into a basketball hero. Found abandoned near a basketball court when he was a baby, Shi-Jie was brought up in kung fu school and taught martial arts by his instructors. Having a secret interest in basketball, Shi-Jie discovered that he has the incredible talent of being perfectly accurate in his shots.


One day he was spotted by a businessman Wang-Li who decided to exploit his special talent by signing him up for the First University basketball team with the excuse of searching for his long-lost parents as publicity. After joining the team, Shi-Jie became famous overnight as the media reported on his extraordinary shooting accuracy. Shi-Jie also has a crush on Li-Li, the sister of Ting-Wei, First University basketball team's captain but Li-Li admires another star player Xiao-Lan instead.

As the team progresses further in the competition, Shi-Jie and Xiao-Lan manage to put aside their differences and work together to help the team win game after game, under the impressive leadership of Ting-Wei. Shi-Jie also learnt to assimilate his kung fu skills into his basketball techniques and soon became a slam dunk hero in addition to his sharp shooter reputation.


The championship culminates into the final match when the First University team meets an unscrupulous rival team, led by Lee Tien, which resorts to using underhand tactics such as bribing the referee and physically injuring their opponents. With both key players Ting-Wei and Xiao-Lan seriously injured and First University team falling far behind in terms of points, Wang-Li managed to persuade four grand masters from Shi-Jie's kung fu school to assist the team. The grand masters used their magical powers to heal the injuries of Ting-Wei and Xiao-Lan and allowed the First University team to make a miraculous comeback.

In the final seconds of the match, when the First University team was lagging behind the rival team by just one point, Shi-Jie attempts a beautiful three point shot that appears to be going into the rim until the referee tips it out illegally. The organiser then declared that the referee has broken the rules and will be suspended but the First University team still lost the match in the end. As the rival players celebrate their undeserved victory, the movie zooms in on the disillusioned faces of Shi-Jie, Ting-Wei and Xiao-Lan which were filled with injustice and disbelief.

IF YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING TO WATCH THE MOVIE, PLEASE STOP READING HERE. THE REST OF THE POST CONTAINS SPOILERS.

The story takes on an astonishing twist when Shi-Jie suddenly remembered an ancient skill that his late master in kung fu school taught him when he was a child. This skill named Heaven And Earth Great Reversal is believed to be able to freeze time and reverse it. He proceeded to execute the special skill and succeeded in reversing the time back to the final seconds of the game.

Given a second chance, Shi-Jie fakes a three point shot but makes a long pass instead. His brilliant move was well-anticipated by Ting-Wei who outjumps Lee Tien and slam-dunks the ball into the rim to give First University its much awaited victory.

The movie would have been perfect if it had ended here. Unfortunately the rest of the movie meanders around a series of redundant subplots from Shi-Jie mistaking Xiao-Lan's parents for his own to Shi-Jie finally finding his long lost father who is a millionaire.

Overall I must admit that I was still quite impressed with the spectacular computer generated effects, the unexpected twist near the end and the inspirational message that it is not the talents and skills of individual players that count but teamwork that is most important in the game of basketball.