SHAOLIN SOCCER

Most Americans usually can't watch soccer on TV. The pace is little slow, its not that interesting, and it's very slow scoring. Many Americans prefer football and basketball and hockey compared to an international past time sport such as soccer. One way to make soccer more interesting is to have insane kicks, stunts and high scoring games. That is what makes Shaolin Soccer a unique movie for an American audience. Brought to you by Stephen Chow (Kung-Fu Hustle), he brings comedy, special effects (cheesy and outdated) and some interesting characters to the big screen. The story isn't what makes Stephen Chow movies fascinating but rather the characters and how he can poke fun out of string work martial arts movies and also make them just as relevant. So, we're going to plummet right in and judge the movie based on story, characters and comedic factor. Does this movie spark the modern audience or will it flounder and fall like a crane. Let's review, Shaolin Soccer.

The story of Shaolin Soccer isn't unique and rather mundane. However, because its a comedy, story doesn't really need to take the forefront but rather be the device to setup comedic elements in the movie. That being said, to summarize the plot of the movie, it's about a down and out former talented soccer player (Golden Leg) who threw a game and got his leg broken by an angry mob. Down on his luck, for twenty years, he served a

former teammate (Mr. Hung) as a lackey while being promised to be a coach. Mr Hung dismisses golden leg to his own devices. Golden Leg discovers a former Shaolin monk (Steel Leg Shin) and recruits him and his band of brothers to play soccer, win lots of money and show off their kung-fu skills. The story is nothing special. Its a rags to riches story involving the former monks, who were all down on their luck, rising above what they are doing and play a sport and showcase what they are capable of. It's fine. Nothing special but it's fine.

The characters are something else in this movie. Each one of the monks have their own unique personality which makes for some interesting and funny interactions. You got a guy dressing like Bruce Lee, an overweight monk who is supposed to jump ridiculously high into the air, a balding break dancing style monk and many more. They each have their own vernacular and their own comedic timing when it comes to the movie. A scene that doesn't spoil any movie but its hilarious is when Golden Leg is teaching Shin to use control of his kicking power by using raw eggs as a mean to show control and not break. Before he tries, Golden Leg throws them on Shin's shoes causing the fat monk to lose his cool and dive for the yoke sucking it off a shoe. The remaining monks pull him off just as golden leg throws an egg at the crotch of shin; sparking another charge. Before that comedy happens, Shin throws an egg at one of the other monks mouth, causing a tackle and unregulated mouth to mouth for a yoke. All of the monks are goofy, over-the-top, but kind and compassionate. The villain is over-the-top and nefarious with just trying to be the best. All the characters have their role and each get to showcase their characteristics for the movie. Not one character feel overshadowed by the other (except for Shin being the main character and all).

It's always hard to judge comedy. It's very subjective. The choices to judge are did you laugh or did you cringe? I know Stephen Chow makes some outlandish movies but, are they for everyone? To me (and I'll always give my opinion in these reviews), I think the movie has some funny moments in the movie and some moments that didn't really get me laughing. The yoke scene is my favorite out of the entirety. The dialogue and comedic timing is all there for the movie. As an audience member, I know what he is trying to do to make me laugh and I think he wants me to laugh at it, but, I just couldn't to either me thinking its not really that funny or it's been done before. With that being said, I did enjoy the movie as a whole. While I didn't laugh at every scene they want me to laugh at, I still found some of the soccer playing action so outlandish and over the top you cannot help but say this is silly and still not turn away from it. The special effects are so outdated that I think that is the point. He doesn't want to make it realistic but just so far from reality that it puts a smile on your face. The sequences are reminding me of his Kung-Fu Hustle movie that I know exactly what I'm in for when I see a movie made by Stephen Chow called Shaolin Soccer.

So, what is the final verdict for this movie? If you like subtitle movies, goofy eccentric characters, and special effects that are unrealistic; then this is a movie for you viewing pleasure. What the movie does right is have good characters and unique abilities. It doesn't lack anything in the movie because its a comedy and some of the jokes didn't work for me. Does that mean someone else won't find it funny? Nope. Its all subjective and I will not say the whole isn't funny because someone else might. I personally enjoyed the movie even though I wasn't always laughing. You might laugh or you might be bored. The power is yours to decide.

I give this movie 2.75 Shaolin kicks out of 5