Race against time with the short film ‘Kung Fu Express’
Competition is a part of human nature. We all want to be the best at what we do, and when we come up against someone equally skilled, we either crumble under the pressure or rise to the occasion. It all depends on who we are and what we’re made of. This sense of competition, of wanting to prove one’s self, is at the heart of the new short film Kung Fu Express.
Kung Fu Express follows two delivery men as they spend their afternoon dropping orders off to customers. Both men believe they will be the final winner of their delivery competition, but the further the day wears on, the closer their scores get. Both men realize that they have identical delivery credits at one point, which sets off on a fervent contest to determine which man can score the last delivery.
The film is characterized by its colorful animation style and the fluid action. The delivery men are wildly different in size and height, with one being tall and thin and the other being short and stout. Their descent into action feels inevitable from the first frame, but the film does a terrific job of making the choreography flow smoothly and energetically. The fact that the delivery men resort to using kitchen utensils as weapons is only one of the many humorous touches that occur throughout.
Kung Fu Express is animated and directed by Cheng Guo. He skillfully threads the needle between tense competition and absurdist humor, and he ultimately shows that the two aren’t all that dissimilar. Competition has an inherent silliness to it, especially when it’s over something as unimportant as the delivery of an item to a customer.
Guo had this message in mind when he was making the film. “I hope this animation can bring laughter and happiness to the audiences who are living under the pressure and competition”, he explained. “I hope people can forget the difficulties of their life and enjoy three minutes [of] funny moments. I hope everyone can break through the wall and enjoy [themselves].”
Kung Fu Express boasts some wonderful designs by Guo, especially when the two delivery men venture outside. The cityscape has a beautiful golden hue to it, and the detail put into background details like statues and building windows give the world an authenticity that so many animated films overlook.
Cheng Guo currently lives in Los Angeles, California. He’s continuing to pursue a career as an animator and a filmmaker, and he seeks to bring the imaginativeness of his own mind to the screen so that audiences from around the world can share it and gain inspiration. “Dreaming, imagination, and creativity is the reason that I wanna be an artist”, Guo has stated.
Films like Kung Fu Express ensure that Guo’s goals will be achieved.
