Kung Fury (2015)

(Youtube Streaming, May 2015) I’m… not sure what to think of this 31-minutes paean to Internet manias. Famously crowd-funded following a delirious mock-trailer that included Hitler (as the Kung-Führer), hackers, martial arts, VHS artifacts, dinosaurs and a cool eighties vibe, the full(er) version of Kung Fury is almost exactly much of the same. Blending whatever is deemed to be ironically cool into a mush of satire, special effects, one-lines, attitude and high camp, it’s made for online viewing and instant memetic distribution. On one hand, Kung Fury is good for a few laughs, bathroom entertainment and social media sharing. On the other, it’s not really that much more than the three-minute trailer (there’s a noticeable lull in the third quarter) and the mirror it reflects on what the Internet think is cool isn’t particularly flattering. Still, there’s a lot to admire in writer/director David Sandberg’s DIY moxie (it’s a special-effects-heavy film, and handled much of its production himself) and his incredible ability is tapping into the collective zeitgeist to the tune of 630,000$. Since the result is free to view, why not just enjoy it as a mindless pastime, and wish the best for Sandberg’s next effort?