Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam: All 8 Episodes Reviewed

Kung Fu Hustle 2 Movie Page

Kung Fu Hustle 2 Movie Page

Note: As of my latest knowledge update in October 2023, "Kung Fu Hustle 2" has not been officially released. Stephen Chow (the original director and star) has discussed a sequel for years, but no confirmed trailer, cast, or release date exists. The following is a speculative "piece" — a mock press release / concept treatment based on known rumors and the style of the original. Logline: Years after the Pig Sty Alley massacre, a washed-up con man posing as a kung fu master must unite the heirs of the legendary Landlords when a new villain uses modern weaponry to hunt down all remaining martial artists. Opening Crawl (in the original film’s retro font): Shanghai, 1940s. The Axe Gang is no more. The Landlords have retired to run a quiet noodle shop. Sing, the once-great kung fu prodigy, now runs a failing magic show. But in the mountains, a new force rises — one that does not believe in chi, only in gunpowder and steel. Plot Summary (Act by Act) Act One: Sing (Stephen Chow, returning) has lost his connection to the Buddha Palm. Haunted by visions of the Beast, he scams villagers with fake “pressure point” healings. He meets Fong (newcomer, say actress Liu Haocun), a young woman who can shatter bricks with her scream — the secret daughter of the Tailor (the late Iron Vest master). She begs Sing to train her. He refuses.

The villain, General Iron (Donnie Yen cameo or a new martial arts star) , leads the “New Order Army.” He has reverse-engineered the Lion’s Roar and uses sonic cannons. He massacres a hidden kung fu village. Sing reluctantly takes Fong to the old Pig Sty Alley — now a modernized slum. The Landlords (Yuen Wah and Qiu Yuen) are now ancient but still deadly. They reveal that the only way to defeat General Iron is to master the Song of the Lute — a lost technique that turns music into a weapon of peace. kung fu hustle 2 movie

Want me to write a fake scene or a teaser trailer script next? Note: As of my latest knowledge update in

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  1. Giang says:
    June 10, 2025 at 10:10 AM

    “There are still so many places for Bourdain to visit in Vietnam, so many more dishes for him to try, so many more episodes for him to make.”

    That is the same thought and reason why I haven’t gone back to any episode or short clips of him, which appear in my YT feeds every now and then.

    1. kung fu hustle 2 movie
      Tom says:
      June 11, 2025 at 2:46 AM

      Hi Giang,

      Yes, I know what you mean, and I know many other Bourdain fans who feel the same.

      Best,

      Tom

  2. S Holmes says:
    June 5, 2023 at 3:28 AM

    I sometimes wonder why people often acknowledge people’s death day (religious reasons aside)? Generally speaking that’s the worst day of a persons life and the saddest day for their loved ones and admirers.

    With that in mind Anthony’s birthday is coming up on June 25 (1956), the day this intrepid traveller and lover of people was born!

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      Tom says:
      June 5, 2023 at 6:31 AM

      Hi S Holmes,

      Yes, it’s because in Vietnam ‘death days’ are commonly celebrated. Hence, I’ve chosen to remember Bourdain on his ‘death day’ in the context of his love of Vietnam.

      Best,

      Tom

  3. Paul Brooke says:
    June 4, 2023 at 11:26 AM

    Many Americans of a certain age only saw Vietnam in context with the American War. That view persisted in American culture and continued into the next generation. Bourdain was the first to see Vietnam as a unique country. I don’t think he ever mentioned the war in his programs.

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      Tom says:
      June 5, 2023 at 6:29 AM

      Hi Paul,

      Yes, I know what you mean, and in many ways (most ways, in fact), I agree that Bourdain painted Vietnam in a different context to what many Americans were most familiar with – that being war. However, he could never let the war go from his Vietnam episodes: Bourdain references the war – either directly or through cultural references, such as movies – in most of his Vietnam shows. This is totally understandable, but I personally looked forward to an episode that left the war out completely, thus focusing only on present-day Vietnam.

      Best,

      Tom

      1. Paul Brooke says:
        June 6, 2023 at 1:05 PM

        I’ll have to re-watch some of the episodes. I guess it was just my first impression that Bourdain dealt with Vietnam on its own merits as a young country with an ancient past and complex culture.

  4. jeff says:
    May 1, 2023 at 3:33 AM

    Thank you for your close and heartfelt reading of Bourdain’s odysseys to Vietnam.

    I have watched the “Hanoi” episode 5 times with deepening appreciation and sentiment; it is my favorite of what I’ve seen of his work.

    The episode is an apostrophe to gain — Vietnam’s as it heals from its history and ascends the world stage toward its future — and a eulogy to the Obama and Bourdain era, where sincerity and civility, for a short time, were given a stage.

    “Is it going to be all right?”

    While Obama and Bourdain were tour guides, we could believe it would.

    1. kung fu hustle 2 movie
      Tom says:
      May 2, 2023 at 1:54 PM

      Hi Jeff,

      Yes, I agree, it’s a very poignant episode – it was at the time, but even more so now, with the knowledge of what was about to happen: to Bourdain, to American politics, to the World.

      Best,

      Tom

  5. TH says:
    April 20, 2022 at 5:01 AM

    This is amazing Tom, just found ur blog after following you quite sometime in twitter. Anthony is one of my idol esp for Vietnam. Keep up the good work as always and thanks.

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      Tom says:
      April 20, 2022 at 5:06 AM

      Thank you for the kind words!

      Great to hear you admire Bourdain too. I hope you enjoy watching/re-watching these episodes.

      Best,

      Tom

  6. Bao Tran says:
    April 9, 2021 at 8:25 AM

    Thank you for a great article as always!
    It made me miss my hometown even more.

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      Tom says:
      April 9, 2021 at 8:47 AM

      Thank you, Bao Tran 🙂

  7. John Pearce says:
    April 7, 2021 at 3:33 AM

    Thanks, Tom, for a moving and informative article that has me regretting that I didn’t enjoy Bourdain’s work when he was with us. He was a one-off for sure and we are all poorer for his absence.

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      Tom says:
      April 7, 2021 at 4:26 AM

      Thanks, John.

  8. Vicki Berger says:
    April 5, 2021 at 9:09 AM

    This is wonderful, Tom.
    A great tribute to Bourdain and Vietnamese food.
    I never saw his programmes but have read some of his books which i greatly enjoyed.
    Thanks
    Vicki

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      Tom says:
      April 5, 2021 at 9:29 AM

      Thanks, Vicki.

      Yes, I enjoy his writing style too. I hope you get a chance to watch some of his TV shows sometime too.

      Tom

  9. Ben says:
    April 5, 2021 at 4:26 AM

    If you have a Google account with a US credit card you can buy episodes of No Reservations and Parts Unknown a la carte for $2 or $3 (SD or HD respectively) on Google Play. Here’s a link:

    No Reservations:
    https://play.google.com/store/tv/show/Anthony_Bourdain_No_Reservations?id=cI-ABS8T6RA&hl=en_US&gl=US

    Parts Unknown:
    https://play.google.com/store/tv/show/Anthony_Bourdain_Parts_Unknown?id=qZqWbgwkJcc&hl=en_US&gl=US

    1. kung fu hustle 2 movie
      Tom says:
      April 5, 2021 at 9:05 AM

      Thanks, Ben.

  10. Javier says:
    April 4, 2021 at 7:26 AM

    Man, great review.
    I didn’t know Tony because I’m Spanish and I was not interested about him. I think I first know about him when I came to Vietnam.
    I have the feeling that Vietnam is changing very fast, but mostly I don’t see it as an inconvenient but something good. We will see how things evolve in the future.
    I agree with Obama, eventually everything will be fine. The virus will be over and we will continue eating food with family and friends, and be able to travel!

    I miss Spain and Thailand!

    1. kung fu hustle 2 movie
      Tom says:
      April 4, 2021 at 7:32 AM

      Thanks, Javier.

      Yes, I hope so too.

      Best,

      Tom