Shaolin Soccer (2001)

Director: Stephen Chow
Stars: Stephen Chow, Wei Zhao, Yat-Fei Wong
Runtime: 112 minutes

Synopsis: A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.

Verdict: Here's a fun little fact about me: I love football. Not the fake American variant in which neither feet nor balls are used but, in fact, the one in which 22 players kick a ball around for at least 90 minutes. I have been following, playing, and breathing the game for over 15 years, way before my love of movies began, but was never able to connect my two passions due to a severe lack of good films about the sport. I grew up on the Goal trilogy, vaguely remember watching Sylvester Stallone's "Victory" when I was younger, and maybe checked out a couple of indies like "The Damned United" or "Marvellous", but none of them really stuck with me as much as I wanted them too.

With Stephen Chow's "Shaolin Soccer", I've finally found the film that lived up to my admiration for the sport. Clearly inspired by childhood-favorite animes such as “Captain Tsubasa” or “Moero! Toppu Sutoraikā”, the plot follows a disgraced legend’s attempt to build a football team out of Kung Fu masters who will use their abilities to reinvent the game.

It’s an absolutely hilarious and extremely fun watch that takes advantage of its ludicrous premise to the extreme. It nails the over-the-top tone it was going for without it ever feeling overwhelming, gifting the audience with the experience they were looking for going in. Despite some dodgy CGI work that didn’t always work for me and some pacing issues towards the middle, it still managed to give us a variety of iconic scenes that peaked in its final act where we finally get to see the blending of the arts of football and kung fu. The choreography featured is exceptional. It’s very clear that every single actor fully understood the assignment and delivered an A+ performance.

The entertainment factor in “Shaolin Soccer” alone makes it an immensely memorable watch, especially if you’re a fan of the sports featured in it. I can't wait to revisit it with some friends! 

FINAL GRADE: 8/10