Finally, we have a comedy sufficiently confident to sprinkle the slapstick and add a dash of physicality without losing itself in overcooked burlesque. Followers of master comic Stephen Chow's previous works will find his latest, "Kung Fu Hustle," a tad less absurd and just a little more meaningful. Few films tread the line, admittedly thin that it is, between unabashed farce and measured wit, but for those who pay close enough attention, Chow has negotiated that tight-wire with much of his trademark panache.

We find ourselves in an anonymous 1930s Chinese town, with many of the garish period trademarks of Shanghai. There the Axe Gang has established its fearsome dominance with Mafia-like organization. Even in these opening scenes where solemnity-rare for a Chow feature-permeates the proceedings, the ridiculously choreographed dancing gangsters immediately introduce one to the world of Chow.

His character, Sing, together with his nameless, fleshy sidekick (Chan Kwok Kwan), are two of many young tramps populating the streets. They cherish dreams of the good life, and in its pursuit they progress from trickery to hooliganism with the Axe Gang. Soon the action revolves around a suburban tenement called Pig Sty Alley (one of those curiously generic Chinese names), where Sing, the Gang and an assorted collection of increasingly skilled pugilists become embroiled in a battle for supremacy. To be truthful, illogicality develops with the increasingly outlandish kung fu moves, but it is easy to believe that it all belongs to the dreaminess Chow cultivates with his flippancy.

The humor lies in the plot's randomness and impossibilities, somewhat like a "Roadrunner" strip that pops up now and then in a perfectly serious storyline. The "Looney Tunes" homages jump to the eye instantly, with classic moments of spatial irreverence such as flattened shoes and blows that send people flying far, far away. Even then, Chow never departs from his roots; a scene where his lips swell out of all proportion rehashes a typical gag from many of his films. "Kung Fu Hustle" is a potpourri of genres just like Chow's humor is one of various different comedic styles. We have a subplot sweet romance, a commentary on social disparity, some physical and juvenile laughs and, of course, the impeccable Yuen Wo-Ping-choreographed fights. (A subtler jest has him cameoing as a martial-arts-manual-peddling beggar.)

While the star is clearly Chow, many of the laugh-out-loud moments are generated by a supporting cast loaded with kung fu film pedigree. Yuen Qiu and Yuen Wah play the hilarious roles of fierce wife and henpecked husband, a couple so unlikely at first but so natural in the end. The Beast (Leung Siu Lung) is another oddity, an unbeatable pugilist clad in singlet and slippers with the arrogance of a noisy toad. There is some bite-sized insanity around every corner, never overwhelming and always welcome.

It is all masterfully and richly shot, which is a pleasant surprise for viewers used to Chow's past emphasis on slapstick. Perhaps this is the result of collaboration with an American distributor, from which "Kung Fu Hustle" is probably the first Asian film to benefit significantly. Some of the clever Chinese wordplay is unfortunately lost in translation, but one cannot fail to notice the narrative consistently underscored by an excellent repertoire of traditional Chinese orchestral music. Much more than merely dictating the mood, the strains of the zither also make for an original visual element in the film.

If "Kung Fu Hustle" ends up as the first Chow movie you watch, it's at least as invigorating an experience as any of his other releases. There are certainly many ways to diss this manner of comedy, and yet, if nothing else, one must admit it was thoroughly entertaining. It's a little like having a sugar high, and finding the most commonplace things in weird combinations really, really funny.