Shaolin Soccer

 

 

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Stephen Chow did an amazing job of creating a story involving real characters in not so real, but agreeable situations. He has given each character a personality of its own; just to create comedy, with a humor that is sometimes honest and others rough. It has some great comedy moments although, coming from the characters, very peculiar ones.

It basically all comes from the characters. You have different persons, united by one thing: Shaolin Kung-Fu. And then you have one man, with one passion: Soccer. This premise helps to create human emotions in the characters. They all have a past that, for some reason, want to forget. Except one of them, who could be living in the past, and still thinks in the goodness of Shaolin Kung-Fu. He believes in it so much, that he gives speeches to people about the qualities of his culture, and the improvement it could do in society. He is right, and sooner or later, she will remind these things to some people, and they will all remember. They will all be prepared to get together again.

What a good-hearted film this is, and how it is filmed, it's beyond imagination. You will find special effects from other world. In occasions, these will seem slow for you, and you will think they are not well managed or handled; but then you will watch. Watching will make you connect all the elements of the story, to make it one. In elements I include special effects, and say again: they couldn't be done better, especially in a movie like this one.

The entire cast did a wonderful job in their roles by giving their characters the personal development they need. They are not playing the most complex people in the world, but they still know what characters they're playing. Some of the scenes, such as the first time we see Mui making bread, are absolute genius; so funny that you can't help but to laugh. I felt Mui seemed like she should have been in more of the film, and I've read that a lot of her part got cut out of the American release, which is a shame. A number of people are saying the original is vastly superior to the edited U.S. version, but this version is so great that I would be mightily impressed if that were true.

The idea of this movie is ingenious, using the style of extravagant martial arts films in a soccer movie, and is done beautifully. You will probably find something you've seen before, I can't deny that. You will find the ending you expect, the situations you imagine, the resolutions you anticipate, or not. You'll have the old coach, the person with the dreams and the heart, the girl; it's just that you'll have them differently (you'll realize what I mean). This is another type of cliché, a very different one, so different that I would say it is not a cliché at all.

This movie is funnay!It employs some great martial arts techniques and kool computer effects. It begins with a group of former Shaolin monks that have chosen to embark on different ways of life. They reunite through one student that is down on his luck poor, but still positive. Another man was once a soccer legend and loses that prestige through an injury. He takes abuse from the coach. He then meets the former shaolin monk and they decide to form a soccer team.
It sums up the sense of honor and respect that the martial arts emanate. It does this lightly and humorously. The part in which stephen chow and his other monk brethren dress up and sing and dance...very funny. I nearly choaked on my popcorn and collapsed on the floor of my room laughing. It has the contrast of the basic yin and yang of evil, hence the "evil team"(a bad soccer team that the shaolin monks must compete against)It brings the martial arts timeless ideals of honor into the 21rst century, With style and substance.

Amazing product. love Stephen Chow's performance and the wonderful spirit of the whole movie. His movies always touch deep inside of my heart, give me strength to face all kinds of challenges in real life. Love you, Stephen.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Comedy with a touching story.
Vicki Zhao and Stephen Chow head out this wacki comedy that mixes soccer and KungFu on the field of battle -- a soccer field. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Glenn Laycock

5.0 out of 5 stars My new fascination with Stephen Chow
While I like to think of myself as an internationalist when it comes to watching films, I had never heard of Stephen Chow before deciding to take a chance on 'Shaolin Soccer. Read more

Published on July 10 2004 by Andy Orrock

4.0 out of 5 stars My new fascination with Stephen Chow
While I like to think of myself as an internationalist when it comes to watching films, I had never heard of Stephen Chow before deciding to take a chance on 'Shaolin... Read more

Published on July 9 2004 by Andy Orrock

2.0 out of 5 stars Overated work of Chow
Dare no one criticize the "king of comedy" stephen Chow or, OK, most of you westerners may have a different taste. Read more

Published on Jun 8 2004 by Costa

4.0 out of 5 stars Bend it Like Golden Leg Fung
I had heard about Shaolin Soccer (2001) a couple of years ago from a friend, as he had recommended it to me, knowing the particular way some of my tastes ran, and I am glad he... Read more

Published on April 17 2004 by cookieman108

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Oh man, this is such an incredible movie! Watched it with my friends, we very nearly died laughing! Make sure you get it with the subtitles, they're so horribly great... Read more

Published on Feb 24 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but uneven
I found this DVD title at my local New York Public Library branch and was intrigued by the title and also I vaguely remembered a trailer I saw in theaters last spring or... Read more

Published on Jan 30 2004 by Gadgester

5.0 out of 5 stars The King of Comedy's finest work.
Words fail me when trying to describe this movie to those who have not been fortunate enough to see it. Read more

Published on Jan 29 2004 by Matt Tuozzo

2.0 out of 5 stars Read this, then decide
This was to be a present for my 3 soccer-playing children; they saw the trailers for the American PG release, but we didn't get a chance to see it in theaters. Read more

Published on Jan 5 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Hahahaha
This movie was friggin hilarious. The plot basically goes down like this: An former soccer player (who is now a coach) recruits a kung fu master who believes that using kung fu to... Read more

Published on Dec 27 2003 by MA2283

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