Cecilia Cheung, Hui Li, Kar-Ying Law

A soccer player down on his luck (he was unfairly injured by his nemesis during a match) puts together an unlikely group of players headed by kung fu phenomenon Stephen Chow. They plan to use Shaolin ...( read more  read more... )kung fu to achieve victory and win $1 million at a local soccer tournament. It's Karate Kid with faster feet as these underdogs battle entire teams of corrupt players!

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83% liked it

60,507 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

87 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: Stephen Chow

Release Date: December 31, 2001

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DVD Release Date: August 24, 2004

Stats: 4,591 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,591)


  • August 28, 2008
    "I'm not here to fight, I'm here to play football!"

    Some say the main purpose of the cinematic medium is to entertain. This result can be achieved in many ways, and in a film like Shaolin Soccer, it can be achieved in just about all of them at once. It can because ...( read more)it merges the two most popular forms of entertainment on our planet - films and football - and has a brilliant man named Stephen Chow behind it. Chow pays homage to classic martial arts films, fumbling underdog sports films, and even Hollywood musicals in an attempt (a successful one) to create one of the most clever and fun films to grace a film screen in quite some time.

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    This is essentially the kind of loopy, crazy, and infectiously fun film that Jackie Chan used to do before he went to the States and started making crap. I mean, how can you take anything too seriously in a film where the rivals are simply known as "Team Evil"? Beginning twenty years earlier, we're introduced to Team Evil's future coach, Hung (Patrick Tse) - who hires a mob to break the leg of his rival, "Golden Leg" Fung (Man Tat Ng) after Fung blows a critical shot and loses a championship match. Back in the present, Hung is rich and famous, while the crippled Fung has been reduced to his lackey. Disgruntled over his treatment, he leaves to try and start his own team, but quickly settles into the life of a drunken bum.

    He discovers a second chance, however, when he comes across Sing (Chow). Sing is also a bum - but one with amazing dexterity and one hell of a kick, one that can practically send balls into orbit. It turns out that Sing is a former Shaolin monk, with several brothers who have all fallen into dire straights financially. Although their abilities have grown rusty from disuse, Fung still recognizes their potential and sets out to whip them into shape as a team that can stand up to Team Evil. Meanwhile, Sing has his eye on Mui (Vicky Zhao), an awkward girl who happens to be a kung fu master in her own right, her skills wasted on making sticky-sweet buns for a living. The mystical way she can handle a ball of dough is the only hint you need in order to know that she'll be crucial to our hero's victory in the third period of the third act's big match.

    The real highlight to all of this is, of course, the actual football matches. The Shaolin team use their martial artistry to send balls flying at ridiculous velocity, creating shock waves and flames and all sorts of other fantastic special effects in the process. It's really impossible to describe, and it's definitely worth the price of admission just to see the matches being played. Sure, the structure defies all logic and rules of play - whole teams line up to take shots on a single goalie in a brilliant homage to Bruce Lee, while his teammates are nowhere to be found, not the mention the fact that nobody calls offsides either - but it's amazingly fun stuff to watch and you'll be too busy laughing your ass off and being wowed at the special effects that you won't care.

    And like I said before, it's chock full of homages to both Eastern and Western cinema. This is definitely a film made by a film buff. For the most part, it's a big-time martial arts flick wrapped up with a sports gimmick, but there are all sorts of elements that help complete it. Characters stop what they're doing to line up in elaborate musical sequences that would be impossible in Asian cinema a couple of decades ago. There are allusions to Spielberg's work in a few spots as well: a ripple in a glass of water jumps right from the frames of Jurassic Park, and Sing says to Mui that she "looks like E.T."

    Not only do I find Shaolin Soccer to be a fresh breath of new air for Hong Kong cinema, it's also martial arts comedy that has some true heart and a message to deliver. You can tell from the very beginning that not only was there a lot of time and effort put in to conduct a genre film of this calibre in terms of special effects, casting and story, but there is a certain amount earnest and seriousness that definitely rings throughout the picture. The first inclination of this has to be Stephen Chow's remarkably straight-faced, Woody Allen-esque performance as Sing.

    What makes Sing so lovable is Chow's raw ingenuity for exaggerated pantomimes. His facial expressions declare a particular innocence that becomes heart-warmingly recognizable, as if each wink and blink, and every stupid grin he throws at you becomes a form of cinematic flirtation. His delivery in his lines pay homage to Jerry Lewis, Richard Pryor, Mel Brooks and even Mr. Allen himself as each sentence that comes out of his mouth is followed by the slight chin dropping and curious stare waiting to be recognized and given attention to. But I'm not going to rule out the great supporting cast that makes up Sing's fellow Shaolin brothers that form the rest of the team. Casted from the crew of Chow's own company, the Shaolin brothers range from a Bruce Lee look-a-like goalie to a break dancing player. And I can't mention enough how many times I died laughing at the character of First Brother and his unattractively droopy face and his "Iron Head" antics.

    The cinematography is rich in providing the epic style feel to the film and broadening the scope of the picture. Within the hands of cinematographer Kwong Ting Wo, Shaolin Soccer delivers some of the most dynamic camera movements anyone has seen in Hong Kong cinema in recent times. The raw ingenuity and the gorgeous movement of the balls as the camera wraps around the burning, racing speed of the CG ball is quite an extraordinary feet in preparation and execution. One amazing shot in particular had the camera follow the ball across the field from a bird's eye view closing in on each pass to follow up and then out again to where Chow does a super flying dragon kick at the ball. It really is amazing.

    Probably the one thing everyone will be talking about for a long time after watching this film are the utterly amazing and inventive special effects. Created by Centro Digital, the same special effects company that engineered the magical wizardry and electric Shaolin martial arts effects of The Storm Riders and Kill Bill, Shaolin Soccer not only becomes a comedic spectacle, but a Kung Fu marvel as well. Though it may be easy to say that the special effects have a certain amount of exaggerated direction, the nuances are what make them exciting to watch. The subtle detailing of each glowing and beautifully sculpted effects are reminiscent of Japanese anime in the sense of style and ambient flavour. A good example of this is in the scene where the Evil Team blocks Chow's first kick, where the ball starts out as a burning sunspot and into a flaming, roaring panther.

    And, in the end, if you really think about it, the basic story of the film is very spiritual. In all actuality, Sing is really a Messiah, so to speak. And all he really wants to do is spread the word of Shaolin: "The Truth lies within us. The way of life is Self-discovery." Football then becomes the metaphor for the Earth because of the fact that it is the most viewed sporting event in the world. And finally it can even be moving, because it is a nostalgic recognition of how money-obsessed modern China has become, and how its glorious traditions have become a subject of mockery and dismissal. Therefore, the next time someone tells me that Shaolin Soccer was a good film but had a weak storyline, I'm going to tie them up and make them watch Ladybugs back to back for a month straight just to make a point that Shaolin Soccer not only rocks, it rocks and teaches ignorant kids a thing or two.
  • July 11, 2008
    Soccer star "Golden Leg" is bribed into throwing an important match and has his legs broken in retribution. Twenty years later he teams up with a young Kung Fu master to win a prestigious Soccer Tournament and revenge himself on the man responsible. Shaolin Soccer is a witty, ton...( read more)gue in cheek pastiche of multiple film genres, including martial arts epics, Jackie Chan style chop socky slapstick, sports underdog films and even spaghetti westerns. This mish mash of styles and genres reminded me very much of the kind of knowing comedy Simon Pegg would make rather than the juvenile scattershot parodies of Zucker/Abrams. There's a lot of humour in the notion that ordinary people are using Shaolin Kung Fu in everyday life and Chow cleverly uses loony tunes-style CGI and costumes to intercut between the mundane and "epic". The sports film formula is cleverly parodied (the villain's team is called "Team Evil") and the wire work during the match sequences is hilarious! Unfortunately, like Shaun Of The Dead, it is a bit of a one-idea film, and it could've stood to lose a little flab in the middle as it runs out of steam occasionally. But only occasionally. It's a very funny film with plenty of laugh out loud moments, and the combination of martial arts and football will appeal to stereotypical heterosexual men everywhere!
  • March 23, 2008
    [talking to a TV camera]
    Sing: I want to say hello to my parents and my Kung Fu master, but they're all dead.

    A team of former Shaolin martial artists take on Team EVIL in the ultimate showdown combining soccer and kung fu. How would this not be a good movie?

    From star/writer/...( read more)director Stephen Chow, basically China's Jim Carrey, this is a movie that is entertaining every time I watch it. It is almost a parody of most sports movie, but still manages to have an original story, combined with a great sense of humor, fun effects to show what happens when soccer and martial arts are mixed together, and even a sweet romance angle. It also helps that the action scenes are completely over-the-top, including the music.

    Chow and a host of other funny Asian actors assemble the rag tag soccer team, challenging all comers in their soccer league, and make one hell of an entertaining and funny movie.

    Sing: [after his team gets brutally beaten by Team Gangster] Why don't you stop them? They're being unlawful!
    Golden Leg Fung: I'm the referee! I won't stop them!
    Sing: What do you mean by that? You basically want us to die!
    Golden Leg Fung: [blows his whistle] You! Out of the game!
    Sing: Have you gone nuts?
    Golden Leg Fung: This is a test! If none of you can pass it, then you can't play in the soccer league!
    Sing: Well, this is a soccer game! This isn't a war!
    Golden Leg Fung: The final soccer game is a war.
  • January 24, 2008
    Best Kung-Fu Soccor movie of all time
  • November 5, 2007
    Can't believe this hasn't been rated by me...GREAT movie, very funny moments
  • October 29, 2009
    good movie,,but too many kung fu in soccer
  • August 27, 2009
    Satu lagi dari STEPHEN COW!!
  • August 26, 2009
    Finally, a movie besides Captain Tsubasa that makes football soccer look appealing!
  • August 23, 2009
    have a nice character and so creative.
  • August 20, 2009
    awesome shroomin movie.

Critic Reviews


May 2, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

A blitzkrieg of hilarious kung fu craziness. full review

April 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It is piffle, yes, but superior piffle. full review

April 2, 2004
David Edelstein, Slate

It's the sort of movie that leaves you smiling like an idiot. full review

April 1, 2004
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Shaolin Soccer's infectious style has a way of lifting spirits. full review

View more Shaolin Soccer reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • gitamadhu1
    February 6, 2008
    How come the cast here doesn't include Chi Chung Lam?
  • dessea
    October 15, 2007
    this is my first favorite comedy-action movie made in china.
    Highly recommended! Stephen Chow is the best!
  • KelseyWelsie
    July 5, 2007
    hahahaha that was awesome
  • cyndy4realjazz2006
    May 8, 2007
    Hey I love dis movie especially d kickings mehn
  • xcaliangelx
    March 20, 2007
    I think this movie is awesome especially in cantonese i love it!!!
  • TheeterGeak
    February 4, 2007
    hehe
  • maestersaj
    August 26, 2006
    must see movie!!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Shaolin Soccer Trivia


  • In Shaolin Soccer, what was the name of the enemy soccer team?  Answer »
  • In "Shaolin Soccer", what is the country of origin of the "enhancement" drugs that Team Evil uses?  Answer »
  • what soccer movie is about chinese peeple hu use kung fu to help them play  Answer »
  • Who is not only the director of films such as Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, but is also their star?  Answer »

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