If you are looking for a movie that is totally unique, then look no further. Shaolin Soccer combines a genre I typically despise (sports) with a genre I typically love (martial arts) and produces a truly uniquely blended story that's never short of comedy, ridiculously over-the-top moments, and stellar martial arts sequences. Many Asian films (Chinese in particular) can be so over the top, and truly fun diversions from the normalities of American cinema. No other has proved to be zanier than Stephen Chow, and the two films I've seen from him have both been a joy and so much fun to watch.
Every so often, a movie comes along that I can’t help but rave about, regardless of how many blank stares and incredulous looks I get. Movies like these are the reason why I even began to write reviews, and why I spend so much time and money on my cinematic fetish. And I will shout it from the mountains; Shaolin Soccer is one of these movies.
I think I was destined to see this movie. First of all, any movie with the word “Shaolin” in the title is going to get my attention. And this one doubly so. I doubt you’ve ever seen a movie about a bunch of misfit ex-Shaolin monks who start a soccer team to promote Shaolin kung fu to the masses. Where some might groan at the premise, I was intrigued. Then I heard the recommendations from my co-worker, and saw that it had shattered all sorts of box office records in Asia. I knew I had to see it for myself. As if that weren’t enough, everytime I did went to HKFlix, there it was, before my eyes. Who am I to resist the call of fate?
Simply describing this film as a movie about a bunch of Shaolin monks playing soccer might be accurate enough, but it barely scratches the surface. It starts 20 years ago, when “Golden Leg” Fung, the most popular soccer player in the land, agrees to throw a game. The crowd riots, and “Golden Leg” is left crippled. Flash forward, and Fung is now a broken man, working for Hung, the very man who set him up. One day, Fung runs into Sing (Stephen Chow), a former Shaolin monk who wants to bring the teachings of Shaolin to the masses, but doesn’t know how. Then Fung sees Sing take on a bunch of thugs with nothing but a soccer ball, and proceed to kick the crap out of them.
Fung decides to use Sing’s amazing kicking powers and create a powerful soccer team that will defeat Hung and his Evil Team. Sing, realizing that soccer is the perfect way to spread Shaolin teachings, recruits his former classmates. Like Sing, each has his own special power. One has a head of iron, another can use his stomach muscles to propel the ball with great force. There’s the 300 pound monk who can walk on air, and the monk whose acrobatic skills would make Kurt Thomas green with envy. And then there’s the goalie, whose Bruce Lee impersonation is almost eerie to watch, and who can stop any shot.
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Needless to say, hilarity ensues. This movie is an absolute riot to watch, and by the time the Shaolin team takes on the Evil Team (yes, they’re really called the “Evil Team”) for the final showdown, I was rolling on the floor. Nothing in this movie can, or should be taken seriously, and as a result, everything goes. Several scenes had me in stitches; the lounge act promoting the merits of Shaolin, the training sequences, the match against the mustachioed female team, the references to Jurassic Park and other movies. Even the dumbest sight gags (a la Airplane) had me chuckling.
This was the first Stephen Chow flick I’ve seen, and I’m already a fan. He’s perfect at playing the lovable buffoon; he makes it look so effortless. And his supporting cast is stellar. The biggest delight is Vicki Zhao. Zhao plays Mui, a disfigured pastry chef who uses tai chi to make the perfect bread. Unlike her scene-chewing performance in The Duel, Zhao turns in a lowkey, touching performance here.
And on top of everything is a generous helping of special effects. Borrowing liberally from movies like The Matrix, Shaolin Soccer use CGI and digital effects everywhere. Unlike The Duel, where the abundance of effects hurt the movie, Shaolin Soccer plays up the cartoonish-ness of everything; Sing’s battle with the thugs looks like something out of a Tex Avery cartoon. Sure, some of the effects look pretty fake, but who cares? You’ll probably be laughing so hard when Sing kicks the ball into warp speed, you won’t even care. If anything, they just add to the fun.
I popped Shaolin Soccer into my DVD player, and it was almost painful when I had to stop watching in the middle. I held on as long as I could, waited as long as I could, because I was enjoying it so much. But when I picked up where I left off, it was like getting back together with an old friend. And I kept rewatching parts of the movie until 1:00am. That’s what this movie did to me.
If you can forget about the fact that the characters basically tear the soccer (sorry, I'm American) rule book to shreds and no one bats an eye, you may find yourself having a lot of fun in this film. If you can't overlook that I've got some bad news: you are a killjoy. This film isn't meant to be accurate or realistic, and although it's not quite as good as Kung Fu Hustle was, Shaolin Soccer is a zany contortion of comedy and action, infused with a love for one of the most popular sports in the world. Silly, insane, action-packed, and glazed with a hint of romance, Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer is a real original piece of comedy. Chow's unique ability to combine two completely unrelated topics and make a coherent, yet funny (if not clichèd) story tells me that there really is some form of originality left in this world, perhaps I've just been looking in all the wrong places. Lots of foreign films I've seen present new forms of originality that I can't seem to be able to find in most American films, and it only makes me more zealous to find out more about the wonderful wide world of foreign cinema.
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behind the scenes of SHAOLIN SOCCER #kungfu #football #movie #chow #stunts #parkour #makeup #fight
I found a few moments of the film to be a bit unbelievable to be happening without consequence in the story, but overall it's a really fun ride to take. I was fortunate enough to snag a DVD copy of the uncut Chinese edition from a friend, and I'm fairly pleased I decided to go that route, instead of just getting the Netflix DVD. It seems that the American version cuts out about 30 minutes of the film, probably making it a much more incoherent mess. Whatever was taken out clearly did not help with the final American product, and I was glad to sit through some hilariously bad subtitle translations to watch the full uncut version. If you haven't seen this film or have only seen the American cut, I highly recommend you try to find this version. I guarantee it's a lot better than the butchered American version.
Critical Reception
The absurdity and action makes this enjoyable. It's ridiculous but it swings for the fences and even though it's not a home run, it's so much fun. It is creative and unique enough where I can say I've never seen anything like this before. Super cliche, stupid plot, that makes it perfect for this movie specifically.
One reviewer noted that throughout the nearly two hour running time of this movie, the room was a glow with merriment, excitement, and remarks of "Holy crap, that is the coolest thing ever!" Indeed, for this movie is filled with amazing visuals, fantastic fun, and all around goodness. Shaolin Soccer is a harmless movie, the type that mentions the normal morals you might find in a children's movie (work in teams, don't let success go to your head, cheating is bad, etc.), without preaching them.
Another reviewer said that Chow's Best film Yet: Although the Sports Comedy genre is often plagued with cliché and is usually only for the most strict of fans, you definitely don't have to be a Soccer/Football fan to enjoy Shaolin Soccer, It helps if you enjoy the idea of a silly (but not stupid or bad) Martial Arts Flick.
It is totally unique, I've never seen anything else like it. There is a very charming love story, and the effects are really cool. The idea of combining kung fu with soccer is very original.... even though it's so bizarre, you'll find yourself asking why nobody has done anything like this before. I laughed constantly throughout this movie and went out and bought it a few days after I first saw it. I would recommend it to everyone I know.
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Cast and Characters
The film’s style really lends itself well to having a great cast of supporting characters, and while Stephen Chow is the star of the show, it’s the others who provide some of the best moments. Patrick Tse as Hung is one of the most entertaining sports movie villains ever, and is as over-the-top and conniving as you’d expect a villain to be in a martial arts soccer movie. His corruption, cynicism and willingness to engage in unethical practices, and his history with Fung make for a very satisfying character arc.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Sing | Stephen Chow |
| Mui | Vicki Zhao |
| Golden Leg Fung | Ng Man Tat |
| Hung | Patrick Tse Yin |
Sing (Chow) is trying to find a way to encourage his countrymen to re-embrace their Shaolin kung fu heritage. When he meets down-at-heel ex-soccer coach Fung (Ng), the pair hatch a plan to form a soccer team with Sing's Shaolin brothers. Unfortunately, these guys have lost their kung fu skills. Sing resolves to help his brothers regain their dignity, then lead them into a championship showdown with the seemingly unstoppable Evil Team. He also finds time to fall in love with Tai-Chi baker Mui (the usually lovely Vicki Zhao), who gets some of the funniest scenes in the movie.
I’d say that it’s going to be pretty hard for anyone to dislike this movie. Some of the humour may not quite hold up for first-time viewers, particularly those unfamiliar with Chow’s style and some of the special effects definitely feel very rough round the edges, but for me it’s part of the film’s charm. Maybe it’s just because I’m old, but the whole aesthetic just made me feel nostalgic and I had a big smile on my face throughout. It all feels deliberate, and it works.