One of my favorite things about Fantastic Fest is walking into a movie not entirely knowing what to expect and discovering something that is just an absolute blast with an audience. Kung Fu Deadly is exactly that kind of movie. It may not reinvent the supernatural action-comedy, but when this movie gets to unleash its ridiculous sense of humor and incredibly entertaining fight sequences, it is hard not to have a good time.
Directed by Fergal Costello, Kung Fu Deadly follows Danny (Steven He) and Frank (Michael Tient), two childhood friends and struggling exterminators living in Dublin. Danny has taken over his late father’s pest-control business, but killing rats quickly becomes the least of his problems when the pair cross paths with Lian (Gemma Chua-Tran), a Taoist Guardian hunting an ancient undead threat.
Suddenly, Danny discovers there is much more to his family history than he ever knew, and the two exterminators find themselves completely out of their depth against a supernatural enemy they certainly weren’t trained to handle.
It’s a setup that gives Kung Fu Deadly an excuse to throw martial arts, supernatural horror, Irish comedy, and Chinese mythology into a blender. Somehow, it works.
The Fight Sequences Kick Ass
The biggest strength of Kung Fu Deadly is easily its action.
The fight sequences are incredibly well done, and I love that the movie gives its choreography room to breathe. These aren’t just quick bursts of action thrown between comedy scenes. The fights are a huge part of the movie’s personality.
There’s an energy to the choreography that immediately reminded me why martial arts movies are so much fun when they’re done right. The movie finds ways to incorporate its humor into the action without turning every fight into a joke, and that balance is incredibly important.
When Kung Fu Deadly gets moving, it really gets moving.
I was also excited to see Max Huang here. I loved him as Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat, and I’ve been waiting to see him get more opportunities to showcase what he can do. Unsurprisingly, Huang delivers whenever the movie lets him loose.
But as much as I enjoyed seeing Huang again, two other performers completely stole the movie for me.
Steven He and Gemma Chua-Tran Steal the Show
Steven He has built an enormous following through his online comedy, but Kung Fu Deadly proves he can bring that comedic timing to a feature without simply feeling like he’s recreating his internet persona for 90 minutes.
He is genuinely great as Danny.
Of course, He is funny, but there’s also a surprising amount of sincerity underneath the comedy. Danny is someone who hasn’t completely figured out what he’s doing with his life when this enormous responsibility is suddenly dropped directly into his lap. He gives the insanity happening around him an emotional center and makes Danny incredibly easy to root for.
Then there’s Gemma Chua-Tran.
Chua-Tran absolutely kicks ass as Lian and might be my favorite part of the entire movie.
Where Danny is constantly trying to understand the supernatural world he’s suddenly been thrown into, Lian enters the story already feeling completely at home within it. Chua-Tran brings so much confidence and physicality to the character, and some of the best moments in Kung Fu Deadly come from watching Danny and Lian bounce off each other.
Their personalities are completely different, which makes their dynamic work even better. He brings the comedy, Chua-Tran brings the badass energy, and together they give the movie a ton of personality.
More importantly, Chua-Tran completely sells the action. Whenever Lian gets involved in a fight, it feels like the movie kicks into another gear.
The Comedy Knows Exactly What Kind of Movie This Is
Kung Fu Deadly knows its premise is ridiculous, and that’s part of the charm.
We’re watching exterminators get pulled into a supernatural martial arts adventure involving an ancient evil. You can’t approach something like that with a completely straight face, and director Fergal Costello wisely embraces the absurdity.
There’s physical comedy, slapstick, ridiculous misunderstandings, and plenty of moments that feel designed specifically to get a packed festival audience laughing.
And for the most part, it works.
Not every joke landed for me, and there are stretches where the movie pushes the comedy a little too hard. Once you understand the dynamic between these characters, certain jokes and character beats can start feeling repetitive.
But when the comedy lands, it really lands.
Watching Kung Fu Deadly with a Fantastic Fest audience certainly didn’t hurt either. This is exactly the type of movie that benefits from sitting in a packed theater with hundreds of people laughing and reacting together.
A Familiar Story Holds It Back
Where Kung Fu Deadly didn’t work quite as well for me was its story.
Underneath all the kung fu, supernatural mythology, and comedy is a fairly familiar story about destiny, responsibility, family, and an underachieving character being forced to become something more.
You can see quite a few of its emotional beats coming.
There were also moments where I wanted the movie to dig deeper into Danny’s family history and the supernatural mythology surrounding everything happening around him. The mythology is interesting enough that I occasionally found myself wishing the movie would slow down and explore it rather than immediately jumping into another joke.
That’s ultimately what keeps Kung Fu Deadly from becoming something truly special for me.
At the same time, I’m not convinced this movie is trying to reinvent anything.
It wants you to laugh. It wants you to fall in love with these characters. It wants to deliver some kick-ass martial arts sequences. And it wants you to have a blast watching an increasingly ridiculous supernatural adventure unfold.
At those things, it succeeds.
Final Thoughts
Kung Fu Deadly feels like the kind of movie Fantastic Fest was made for.
It’s weird, energetic, funny, and filled with some genuinely impressive martial arts sequences. The story follows a familiar path, and not every joke hits, but the personality of the movie and its cast carry it through the weaker moments.
Max Huang is always a welcome addition to an action movie, especially after loving what he brought to Mortal Kombat, but Steven He and Gemma Chua-Tran are the real standouts.
He proves he can carry a feature beyond the online comedy that made him famous, while Chua-Tran walks away with nearly every scene she’s in.
Sometimes you don’t need something groundbreaking.
Sometimes you just want to watch exterminators battle supernatural monsters with kung fu.
Kung Fu Deadly understands the assignment.
3 out of 5 Seths.
