Stephen Chow as "Sing"
Ng Man Tat as "Fung"
Vicki Zhao as "Mui"
Patrick Tse as "Hung"
Yut Fei Wong as "Iron Head"
Chi-Sing Lam as "Hooking Leg"
Kwok Kuen Chan as "Iron Shirt"
Lam Chi Chung as "Weight Vest"

Written by Stephen Chow and Kan-Cheung Tsang
Directed by Stephen Chow

I bought Shaolin Soccer on Sunday and began watching it that night. For a couple of days, however, I couldn't finish the film for various reasons. It was a weird gem of madcap comic invention already, but upon watching the ending earlier today, I was convinced that I had just seen the best sports movie ever.

Stephen Chow heads a large cast of characters as Sing, also known as Mighty Steel Leg. Sing is a martial artist with Shaolin training, eager to show the world that Shaolin kung fu can be applied practically. His chance comes when he meets Fung, a former soccer star once known as Golden Leg. Fung, disgraced twenty years earlier by fellow player Hung, sees Sing's Mighty Steel Leg kung fu as his ticket to coaching a championship team. Sing sees Fung's offer as a chance to prove himself and Shaolin kung fu to the world. All they need is a team, and the two spend the first half trying to recruit and train Sing's fellow students. Not only must Fung teach them how to play soccer, but he and Sing have to help them remember how to use their kung fu!

The second half of the movie sees the Shaolin team entering the National Soccer Tournament, and it's this half that is most entertaining, seeing Sing and his "brothers" wreak havoc on the soccer field with their superpowered kung fu. Predictably so, the brothers make it to the finals. Waiting for them is a showdown with the Evil Team, coached by Hung. Will the brothers meet their match or come out on top? Will Fung reclaim his honor? The one sure thing is that it's a hell of a good time finding out the answers.

The story is pretty simple, the characters aren't very deep, and the jokes are pretty silly, but Shaolin Soccer isn't meant to be taken seriously at all. It's a very broad comedy, with bodily humor, crazy sight gags and lots of special effects. There is a somewhat romantic subplot involving Sing and a homely girl named Mui (Vicki Zhao Wei) who uses Tai Chi to make steamed bread, and it does offer an interesting twist. Moreover, it affects the ending, which I had to watch at least two more times. Sure, it's a rather formulaic ending, but I found it dazzling to watch, and inspiring as well.

Admittedly, the idea of misfits banding together to shake up the sports world isn't an original concept by any stretch, but the addition of martial arts to the mix definitely adds life to the soccer battles, and his able ensemble play their roles completely straight. Of course, this is how cinematic screwball comedy should work; people acting like nothing is out of the ordinary when everything is really upside down. From what I understand, Stephen Chow frequently employs large casts and deadpan humor in his films. The special effects, however, are something you might not expect. They range from wire work to computer graphics, and seem reminiscent of another big-budget Hong Kong release, The Storm Riders. Both movies featured characters who not only defied the laws of gravity, but also brought incredible powers, magic or otherwise, to bear against their opponents. These effects may not have been up to Titanic's or Star Wars's levels of quality, but they were still enjoyable.

I can't say I can find much personal fault with this film. My biggest complaint, however, is that the dialogue was compromised by horrible subtitles. Still, I'm sure it's better than seeing the Miramax dub, with at least fifteen minutes of footage deleted.

Dubbed or not, however, I would recommend this movie to anyone in the mood for a zany comedy. Shaolin Soccer transcends both action and sports movies, and while the story may not be entirely original, the entire package is more unique than you might think. If I could pick one recent Asian import (aside from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) that deserved a wide North American release, I would select Shaolin Soccer, hands down. Do yourself a favor and go check it out.

(6.4.03)