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Shaolin Soccer

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Shaolin Soccer (2002)

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Reviews Counted:87

Fresh:79

Rotten:8

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: The plot is utterly ridiculous, and the soccer in the movie is unlike any ever played anywhere on Earth, but watching Shaolin Soccer, you will probably find it impossible to care.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for martial arts action and some thematic elements

Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Apr 2, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $172,448

Synopsis: The action comedy SHAOLIN SOCCER has become the all-time most successful Hong Kong production ever--in part due to its eye-popping action, crazy special effects and wicked humor. The film has... The action comedy SHAOLIN SOCCER has become the all-time most successful Hong Kong production ever--in part due to its eye-popping action, crazy special effects and wicked humor. The film has shattered box office figures throughout Asia and has won many awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Visual Effects at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Stephen Chow, who has appeared in over 50 films, is arguably, the most famous and loved comedian in Asia today. Often referred to as the "Jim Carrey of the East," Chow has made 5 of the top 10 highest grossing films in Hong Kong, with SHAOLIN SOCCER being #1. Chow is most known for his clever parodies and has used his razor-sharp wit to spoof James Bond ("From Beijing with Love"), Chow Yun Fat ("All for the Winner"), Bruce Lee ("Fist of Fury '91"), and even himself ("Forbidden City Cop"). This multi-talented comedian produced, directed, wrote, and edited SHAOLIN SOCCER as well as acted in the lead role, performing his own stunts.

Shaolin was an art practiced through the ages; a skill mastered in the heart. In SHAOLIN SOCCER, it is so much more than a philosophy for six young believers. It is a complete way of life. But as the world changed around them, and Honor and Discipline become forgotten virtues, they lose their way --except for one loyal follower, Sing (Chow). With the help of a former soccer star, he reunites his old, out of shape, misfit friends, and recruits a young woman with extraordinary Kung Fu skills. Together, they're out to combine the ancient power of Shaolin with the modern game of soccer and in the process, just might take the world's most popular sport to its most extreme. -- © Miramax [More]

Starring: Stephen Chow, Vicky Zhao Wei, Ng Man-Tat, Cecilia Cheung

Starring: Stephen Chow, Vicky Zhao Wei, Ng Man-Tat, Cecilia Cheung, Lau Kar-Ying, Karen Mok, Alan Tam

Director: Stephen Chow

Director: Stephen Chow
Screenwriter: Stephen Chow, Tseng Kan Cheong
Producer: Yeong Kwok Fa
Composer: Raymond Wong
Studio: Miramax Films

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Release:

Aug 24, 2004

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Shaolin Soccer
  • With tons of action, eye-popping special effects, and nonstop laughs, here's a hilarious martial arts comedy about a team of misfits who take their best shot at winning a championship! Sing is a skilled Shaolin kung fu devotee whose amazing "leg of steel" catches the eye of a soccer coach! Together they assemble a squad of Sing's former Shaolin brothers inspired by the big-money prize in a national soccer competition! Using an unlikely mix of martial arts and newfound soccer skills, it seems an unbeatable combination ... until they must face the dreaded Team Evil in the ultimate battle for the title!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Shaolin Soccer

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    1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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    With no inhibitions about whom or where he borrows from, Chow makes us complicit in his stylistic shoplifting. The result is the definition of guilty pleasure.

    Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
    04/02/04
    John Anderson
    John Anderson
    Newsday
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    For once, maybe Harvey did the right thing by cutting it down.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    04/16/04
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    Hong Kong's highest-grossing film ever comes west with all its no-brow humour and cheeseball effects intact.

    Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
    10/02/02
    Jason Anderson
    Jason Anderson
    eye WEEKLY

    A fall-out-of-the-chair, funny movie!

    Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
    05/24/05
    Ross Anthony
    Ross Anthony
    Hollywood Report Card

    As long as your expectations are focused in the right direction, it's a sure bet that you'll have a good time watching this infectiously entertaining comedy.

    Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
    08/12/03
    James Berardinelli
    James Berardinelli
    ReelViews
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No doubt there are sports pedants who will find themselves echoing the sentiments of one exasperated opponent as he exclaims "Please don't play like this! I really want to play soccer!" -- but everyone else will be too busy grinning...to care very much.

    Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
    11/19/04
    Anton Bitel
    Anton Bitel
    Movie Gazette

    The movie's one notable hurdle is that Chow clearly values all this comical lunacy over a good script, (but) this never becomes enough of a burden to spoil the fun.

    Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
    04/01/04
    Rob Blackwelder
    Rob Blackwelder
    SPLICEDWire

    May be the funniest out-and-out comedy of the summer.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
    08/13/04
    Jay Boyar
    Jay Boyar
    Orlando Sentinel

    A good-hearted comedy that clearly illustrates why Stephen Chow is so revered.

    Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
    07/09/04
    Liz Braun
    Liz Braun
    Jam! Movies

    Not an earth-shattering achievement, but not something to miss if you haven't yet met Stephen Chow.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
    04/23/04
    Mary Brennan
    Mary Brennan
    Seattle Times

    Comedy, even that of the low-brow variety, is not served well with an exaggerated version of Jim Carrey.

    Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
    08/09/03
    Jules Brenner
    Jules Brenner
    Cinema Signals

    It is wildly enjoyable whether or not you appreciate the game, but for those bitten by the soccer bug it should prove particularly sublime.

    Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
    07/15/04
    Robert W. Butler
    Robert W. Butler
    Kansas City Star

    A very entertaining watch.

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/08/02
    Eric Campos
    Eric Campos
    Film Threat

    the stars of this film are the over-the-top stunts and kung fu action, which sublimely blend artfulness with silliness

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    03/31/04
    Annette Cardwell
    Annette Cardwell
    Filmcritic.com

    Chow's best movie... one of the best knee-jerk laugh-out-loud crack-ups I've seen in a long time.

    Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
    04/01/04
    Jeffrey Chen
    Jeffrey Chen
    Window to the Movies

    A very funny movie.

    Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
    07/09/04
    Ray Conlogue
    Ray Conlogue
    Globe and Mail
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It so deliriously riffs on everything from The Bad News Bears and Jurassic Park to super heroes and break dancing that it's hard not to get caught up in the goofy fun.

    Full Review Source: Paste Magazine | comment Comment
    06/03/08
    Robert Davis
    Robert Davis
    Paste Magazine

    We don't recommend this for your 'Mother's Day outing'... but it's positively the best movie mixing kung fu and soccer ever.

    Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
    05/07/04
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    TheMovieChicks.com

    Shaolin Soccer is one of those unlikely combinations, like Vanilla Coke or Christian rock, that fits so well, you're left wondering why no one thought of it before.

    Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
    07/16/04
    Peter Debruge
    Peter Debruge
    Miami Herald

    A quirky, lighthearted and pleasantly goofy Hong Kong comedy.

    Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
    05/06/04
    Gary Dowell
    Gary Dowell
    Dallas Morning News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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    Latest News for Shaolin Soccer

    July 24, 2007: Seth Rogen Wants Stephen Chow as His Green Hornet Sidekick
    If the idea of Seth Rogen as a superhero sounds a little crazy, well, it is. But at least the guy has good taste in co-stars. He'd like to get Stephen Chow to play 'sidekick' Kato. More...

    January 07, 2005: Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle Breaking B.O. Records
    Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" is breaking box office records across Asia, Variety reports. On its Dec. 24th opening day in Singapore, "Hustle" set the... More...

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