Shaolin Soccer is, first and foremost, joyous. It's a live-action cartoon overflowing with enthusiasm for its subject matter, its characters, and just about everything else in the world. Plot-wise, it tells the story of a team of kung-fu experts who band together to create a super-powered soccer team and, after a lot of goofy team-building and conflict, do battle with their rivals, the literally-named Team Evil.
This might not be the film to introduce people to Hong Kong cinema with -- the cinematography seems cheap in all but the most major scenes, and some of the humour is distinctly odd. Chow's follow-up movie, Kung-Fu Hustle, is a slicker and more accessible picture. But there's a lot to love about Shaolin Soccer, which has plenty of laughs and (at least in my experience) not a single dull second. Not only that, but it has a message I think a lot of people need to take to heart -- whatever you do, whether it be soccer, martial arts, making steamed buns, or singing on street corners, do your best to make it awesome.
This might not be the film to introduce people to Hong Kong cinema with -- the cinematography seems cheap in all but the most major scenes, and some of the humour is distinctly odd. Chow's follow-up movie, Kung-Fu Hustle, is a slicker and more accessible picture. But there's a lot to love about Shaolin Soccer, which has plenty of laughs and (at least in my experience) not a single dull second. Not only that, but it has a message I think a lot of people need to take to heart -- whatever you do, whether it be soccer, martial arts, making steamed buns, or singing on street corners, do your best to make it awesome.