review: shaolin soccer

by jonathan on 07/06/2002 16:11:51 -0700

Ah, Hong Kong cinema, responsible for all my knowledge in regards to the Cantonese language. John Woo made his best action films in Hong Kong and I’m sad to say he hasn’t really topped himself yet, though Face/Off and Windtalkers were certainly good tries. But besides the action movies, what I really like are the comedies. To be honest, I haven’t really watched films outside these two genres save for Wong Kar Wai’s excellent Chunking Express (Chong qing sen lin).

Now, I do enjoy comedies from just about all regions of the world (including yes, France) but the thing that makes Hong Kong comedy so unique is the fact that’s it’s so far over the top. I really can only describe it as “live-action Anime™”. You’ll see completely ridiculous special effects, cuts, puns, as well as seemingly out of place monologues and asides to the audiences in Hong Kong comedies. It’s just something that doesn’t really happen in comedies made here, which are nearly all romantic comedies. (Though Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a notable example because it breaks the fourth wall and isn’t really a romantic comedy.)

Shaolin Soccer, is at the surface an incredibly silly movie. No one in their right mind can take seriously the plot and premise, much less the well done (if not completely over the top) CGI effects. It’s worth noting that this is the most successful HK movie ever and for a good a reason too; it’s simply entertaining.

The plot is ludicrously simple. A formerly famous soccer player, “Golden Leg” Fung, who “missed” a key shot in a game in the past, meets up with a Shaolin monk looking to spread his techniques and teachings to the populace. The monk, Sing, is played by none other than Stephen Chow. (Think of him as the Robin Williams of Hong Kong, minus Insomnia and One Hour Photo Shoot) Fung gets the idea to use Sing’s abilities to play soccer. Sing thus calls upon his former brothers that he trained with at the temple. They each bring a special ability to the field. Many of them also have a weird quirk; my favorite being the goalie that looks and acts just like Bruce Lee. His performance makes this one of the funniest and most entertaining films I have seen.

After Sing forms his team, they enter a tournament and eventually reach a final climatic match against a team that also has “special techniques”. There’s also a side plot involving Sing’s relationship with a rather homely girl. Watching the finale is a lot like watching an episode of Dragonball Z or something similar. Soccer balls flying at insanely fast speeds are just one of the many unrealistic yet entertaining effects in the movie. I don’t want to list all the effects here, as telling one would ruin a lot of the movie. Suffice to say, they are also a must-see.

Now, don’t let my talk about cool special effects fool you. Shaolin Soccer, is at heart an HK comedy so there’s plenty of laughs in the movie. Besides “Bruce Lee”, there’s a great scene in which John Woo movies are spoofed, with people wearing trench coats, scarves, and sunglasses. Accompanying this, of course, is the John Woo wind™ to make accoutrements billow out and look cool.

So why is this movie so damned popular in HK? I can’t quite say. Perhaps it’s because it mixes Shaolin martial arts movies with comedies. Or perhaps it’s just good writing by Stephen Chow and company. Maybe it’s the special effects. My best guess is that the movie is a good blend of many separate elements that one might not think would go together. But much like mixing Shaolin martial arts and soccer, the result is surprisingly entertaining.

Shaolin Soccer

	Best thing about it: Original idea, good parodies, definitely funny, good special effects, and the most dramatic soccer game I’ve ever seen on film.
	Worst thing about it: You’ll have to read subtitles unless you know Cantonese or Mandarin. The original language is Cantonese so you’ll have to know that to get most out of some of the jokes. Also, as with any comedy, my taste may be different than yours, so viewer discretion is advised.
	What I thought as I left the movie theater: “Wow, this is great. I’ve got to watch that old Japanese animation about soccer now.”
	Would I watch this on a date?: If your date is either Chinese or just likes HK comedies, yeah. Hell, the main girl in the film looks homely enough that your date will definitely NOT be jealous.
	Profound thought after the movie: Apparently Miramax is going to release this film here sometime next year. Supposedly they’ve changed the opening and credit sequences as well as dubbed the film. Miramax also changed the title to Kung Fu Soccer. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the dubbed version is going to suck, but if you want to wait for it, be my guest. Just remember I warned you.