King Kung Fu tells the story of a good-humored, hat-loving,
Chinese talking
gorilla originally named Jungle Jumper who has been taught
karate. After beating up his
Kung Fu Master owner, Alfunku, when the latter dared him to snatch a
banana from his hand, he is shipped off to the U.S. as a "goodwill gift" by his battered and embarrassed teacher, where he is renamed King Kung Fu for publicity purposes. On the way to the New York Zoo, the "Monster Master of the Martial Arts" is put on display in
Wichita, Kansas, where two out-of-work reporters set him free with plans to "capture" him and get jobs. Police Captain J.W. Duke (who resembles a
certain Western Movie star) and his
patriotic-helmeted little assistant, Officer Pilgrim, get involved in the citywide chase along with the phony-looking ape's
love interest,
Rae Fey (a beautiful blonde
Pizza Hut waitress/
model). Rae Fey is the only one who understands that Fu just wants to see the sights like any other
tourist. Her conniving TV journalist boyfriend, Bo Burgess (not
Beau Bridges as has been listed in some sources, a reference no doubt to the actor's brother
Jeff who starred in the first
remake of
King Kong), and his hapless
sidekick, Herman, a pair of
prudish protesters from "OLD HAGS" ("Outraged Ladies Dedicated to Hiding Animals Great Shame"), and a host of others including cops,
cowboys and
baseball players partake in a wild chase in order to catch the ape. The gorilla and the girl end up on top of the
tallest building in Wichita, a
Holiday Inn and homage to the original King Kong film, where the hairy hero makes a final stand involving instances of
stop motion animation. ==Cast==