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Movies / On DVD / Shaolin Soccer
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 rotten rating)
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    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    08/07/04
    Boston Phoenix

    Chow delivers his own lines fairly well, but the overall effect is like a sputtering engine that's not firing on all cylinders. And the new edit doesn't solve the main problem with the original film.

    Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
    05/17/03
    Daniel Eagan
    Daniel Eagan
    Film Journal International

    A hard chestnut to swallow.

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    06/20/05
    Dennis Schwartz
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    Not the classic it claims to be.

    Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment 1 Comment
    11/14/04
    Joe Utichi
    Joe Utichi
    FilmFocus

    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

    There's no question Chow is talented. But this just isn't the vehicle that will make him an international star.

    Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
    07/19/03
    Louis B. Hobson
    Louis B. Hobson
    Jam! Movies

    Overall, the cartoonish hijinks are unrestrained and frankly juvenile; whether that's praise or criticism is a matter of personal taste.

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    04/02/04
    Maitland McDonagh
    Maitland McDonagh
    TV Guide's Movie Guide

    Sometimes it's so goofy you want to slap it for foisting so many dud slapstick gags. And sometimes it's so intentionally goofy you have to laugh.

    Full Review Source: Boston Herald | comment Comment
    08/06/04
    Paul Sherman
    Paul Sherman
    Boston Herald

    Over-the-top mugging defines the story of a ragtag soccer team that uses Shaolin kung fu to vanquish its foes on the field.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
    08/12/04
    Steve Schneider
    Steve Schneider
    Orlando Weekly

    It's all so brazenly goofy and infectiously entertaining that you forgive the hit-and-miss gags.

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    04/01/04
    E! Online

    You could call it a guilty pleasure, but that would suggest you feel bad about enjoying yourself.

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Time Out

    A movie as empty-headed as your average Premier League player, but that doesn’t matter when the footie scenes are so fun and deliriously OTT.

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    04/01/06
    Empire Magazine

    The movie has something for any Hong Kong cinephile.

    Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
    09/13/01
    Andrew Sun
    Andrew Sun
    Hollywood Reporter

    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

    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

    It’s The Matrix without the pretentious pop-philosophy, and Bend it Like Beckham without the teen angst.

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    03/10/04
    Brian Mckay
    Brian Mckay
    eFilmCritic.com

    Recaptures the essence of delirious, fantastic action that made Hong Kong the capital of cool through the late 1980s and early 1990s.

    Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
    02/20/02
    Bryant Frazer
    Bryant Frazer
    Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

    A delightful blend of comedy, kung fu, soccer and special effects.

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
    04/02/04
    Carla Meyer
    Carla Meyer
    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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

    A movie that rises to dizzying heights of silliness before soaring into the silly stratosphere, Shaolin Soccer is pure fun.

    Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
    08/19/04
    Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
    Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
    St. Paul Pioneer Press
     
     
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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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