Shaolin Soccer
Shaolin Soccer (少林足球, Siu lam juk kau): a has-been footballer (soccer player) convinces a struggling Kung-Fu master to form a football (soccer) team with his equally gifted ragamuffin friends. It’s so silly, bawdy, theatrical and over-the-top that it feels like it’s based on a manga series – apparently it isn’t! The story’s a bit stupid, but the film finds some form during the wire-work and CGI heavy ‘football’ (‘soccer) matches. Even by bad Asian standard the acting – although probably closer to mincing – is fairly shoddy, and it’s difficult to know if the actors were hired for their martial arts skills because most of the action is entirely green screen. Shaolin Soccer is entertaining enough, but behind the SFX it’s quite a formulaic sports film that’s too erratic to properly enjoy, and not particularly funny or dramatic enough to be noteworthy. All-in, I can’t understand why there’s so much love for this – definitely not one for proper football (soccer) fans.
Score: 4/10
Paragraph Film Reviews 
This movie has Kung-Fu, wich I know nothing about, and soccer, which I do not like. I’ve heard about this movie and think it may have a cult following but it sounds dreadful.
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Probably worth watching as it’s definitely more about the ridiculous fight scenes than the Soccer aspect!
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Awww I love this film! And I’m a big football (I refuse to call it soccer!) fan. Although I once saw the American release which cuts out huge parts of the film leaving it not making as much sense. I love how ridiculous it is. Have you seen Kung Fu Hustle?
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Not seen Kung Fu Hustle but it’s on netflix so will be checking it out soon anyway! Just don’t understand how that wasn’t adapted from a Manga/Comic…
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I saw this one years ago after I read so many great things about it. Absolutely terrible. You are spot on. Terrible acting, terrible CGI, terrible story. And is it just me, or did it seems like the field they played on was dirt instead of grass? WTF?
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Yup – wasn’t even a football pitch, more like farming field. Looks like it was shot in an abandoned African stadium! Definitely a MASSIVE WTF?!
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Granted, the plot isn’t spectacular, but there’s a cultural division from the Chinese humor to the Western humor that might have caused your failure to see how grandly hilarious the jokes actually are–especially because it sort of embodies the type of humor that is so close to home for the Chinese that translation can wear out the same effect. The reason it received so much love and excitement is because despite it being so comical, it still manages to capture human nature at its best and worst.
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Well-argued and put. I do like a lot of Asian movies, but comedies are the hardest to export without a doubt!
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