Kung Fu Elliot (2014) User Reviews

Is It Real? Does It Matter?

[kr98664 · 6/10 · 2 July 2015]

Is it real? That's the one question I had after watching this documentary. After some professional-grade thinking, I still don't know. And to tell the truth, it really doesn't matter. If everything was real, then this was an interesting true story. If it was a sly mockumentary, then it was still a fun movie. Don't beat yourself up trying to solve a riddle that may not have an answer.

Per the current reviews here so far, I have posted the first review by a person outside of a film festival. If nothing else, this would look good on a resume. I should also clarify I'm not literally outside a film festival, or even in close proximity to one. I'm actually at home as I type this, having watched the movie on a certain streaming movie service named after a major South American jungle.

The movie was quite intriguing. It's the story of a man making VERY low budget films. Throw in a little domestic drama and a somewhat surreal supporting cast, and you've got a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half.

Without giving anything away, the last part of this movie did seem to fall apart. Still, the movie kept my interest the whole time. And was it all scripted? I can't really tell, and don't really want to know. Okay, fine, maybe I do. But until then, it was still quite the enjoyable ride.

What starts off as a charming little documentary ends as something completely different

[Seth_Rogue_One · 7/10 · 23 October 2015]

I'm not gonna spoil anything, but this documentary film starts off as a funny and charming look at a pretty delusional guy who thinks he's gonna be the next Jean Claude Van Dame who makes movies with his girlfriend.

All that might sound innocent enough but they throw you one heck of a twist at you one hour in that will make you look at the whole thing in a completely different light, like a total 360 degree change to the point that you're left thinking 'could this be real?'.

But they say that the truth is usually stranger than fiction, and if that is true than this could be the very testament of that.

I kinda hope that it was all a hoax in all honesty, and that it is some sort of satire on documentaries to show how easily manipulated they are and how you can portray 'reality' from many different points of views to get your desired idea across.

Yeah, this was one of the most bizarre things I've seen in a long long long time, and I was a bit disturbed in the end in all honesty.

I guess that in itself makes it recommendable.

A 10/10 in your face character character study

[leplongeur · 10/10 · 5 November 2016]

Most viewers seem to sort of dislike this flick for one of two reasons. Either it's because they don't like Elliot or because they can't place it in a category. The first reason is like dismissing "Das Boot" or "Schindler's List" b/c you don't like Nazis and the second is sadly the prominent reason why a lot of awesome movies get bad reviews. Everybody love's the Godfather as it is obviously a gangster movie - but Science of Sleep - hmm - is it a drama, or a comedy, is it a dream, is it real?

At the end of the day it's pretty simple - it's a portrait. And b/c this portrait was filmed over a longer period it starts to develop into directions the director probably didn't anticipate. Elliot is - as destructive and deceptive as he may be - an interesting subject to be placed under the looking glass - like an ugly insect for example - pretty interesting to watch as a matter of fact. It's truly fascinating to see him clash with reality. And for that purpose the director does a great job - it really couldn't be done any better in my opinion - hence 10/10.

You might also enjoy:

• The Jinx (super-unlikeable)

• Beltracchi (super-likeable)

• Point and Shoot (super-likeable)

• When Louis met Saville (super-unlikeable)

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I do have to say so that I feel also kind of sorry for Elliot and that this movie to some extent severely damaged his freedom. He is a manipulative and deceptive person - but he didn't directly harm anybody and his focus was on adults who should have simply known better. Realistically speaking for every liar there is somebody who actively wants to believe lies ... to some extent he's the embodiment of a tragic character from a Wes Anderson movie.

I also want to make a home video for Netflix

[sjensenstrad · 26 August 2016]

How this piece of garbage ended up on Netflix is one of the biggest mysteries in the known universe.

It is some kind of amateurish documentary/comedy. But it is not fun at any moment. I gave it like 10 minutes.... don't ask me why. I then forwarded a bit around and it is just same crap everywhere.

Checked on IMDb and none implicated in this "movie" has made anything else since 2014, I think that is a blessing. THough I hope they had fun making the movie.

Here is the missing lines I need to write to make this review public. 1-2-3 here comes the cat and jump in the bag

Another indie mockumentary

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 28 March 2018]

KUNG FU ELLIOT is another of those micro budget 'mockumentary' comedies that have been doing the rounds ever since THIS IS SPINAL TAP popularised the genre. This time it's about the titular character, a legend in his own mind, who turns out to be a typical chubby middle-aged guy with little skill or ability at anything. I found the comedy laboured and over-obvious and the film as a whole a real chore to get through, it's that bad.

IT'S ALL TRUE!

[pparise · 9/10 · 15 December 2017]

I have owned a video store in Moncton NB Canada for the past 15 years and I know Elliot and the filmmakers. This is definitely a documentary. It's just a crazy story.

Charming Characters, Searing Satire- With a PUNCH

[beth-159 · 10/10 · 5 October 2014]

It's hard to write about Kung Fu Elliot because its best to watch with zero expectations and as little information as possible. At least, that's how I feel as I attended a screening at Hot Docs in Toronto solely based on bumping into the sweet and friendly filmmakers at an Industry function and wanting to support their screening as a thank you for extending themselves to me in an otherwise awkward social situation. As an indie filmmaker myself, I soon found myself laughing out loud at the outrageous claims of the main doc subject, DYI filmmaker and self-proclaimed marital arts expert Elliot Scott. However, I was not laughing entirely AT the self-diluted doc subjects low in talent while high in ambition as I was also identifying in a half-cringing fashion as my own cinematic attempts share some significant territory with this motley crew of dreamers in Halifax. If you love satire, off-the-wall documentary subjects and are up for sharing a wacky 2 year journey with the filmmakers Jaret and Matt you will be well rewarded by this film. I have to leave it there-- NO SPOILER ALERT. This is no wonder this Canadian Doc is being compared to sleeper hit Catfish.

Curb Your Confucianism

[marloweisdead · 25 June 2016]

Within ten minutes it was fairly obvious that this was a mockumentary in a similar deadpan style to those of Christopher Guest, crossed with some improv in the vein of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

If the film-makers had attempted to keep it more within the bounds of possibility I feel it would have been more successful but I enjoyed the attempt nevertheless - as the film progressed believability was sacrificed for wackiness and holes in the stories that gave the game away that this was not, in fact, a documentary - I have a feeling this was deliberately referenced late on in proceedings when the filmmakers "interviewed" Elliot's put-upon girlfriend Linda, about the nature of documentary, with the fabrications of Elliot in regards to his past being linked to the fabrication of this film and documentaries as an entire genre.

I should note that very early on Elliot refers to Jean-Claude Van Damme as being French when he is in fact Belgian - this may have been part of his character's lack of depth in understanding but it was the first flag for me that made question this being a 'documentary'.