"Kung Fu Hustle" is set in 1940s Shanghai and follows the story of Sing (played by Stephen Chow), a wannabe gangster who tries to join the notorious Axe Gang. However, things take a turn when Sing is sent to a city on the outskirts of Shanghai to collect protection money, only to find that the residents are being terrorized by a group of ruthless thugs. Sing and his friend, Pao (played by Danny Chan), team up with a group of misfits to take on the thugs and their leader, the notorious beatnik, Mr. Triad (played by Sammo Hung).