Hong Kong satirist Stephen Chow wrote, directed, and stars in this hilarious spoof of sports and kung fu movie cliches. Chow plays "Mighty Steel Leg" Sing, who can kick soda cans through walls, and is a natural soccer star in the eyes of crippled coach Fung (Patrick Se Yin), who is looking to challenge his arch rival Hung, the captain of the aptly named Evil Team. Recruiting Sing and his goofy brothers who all have names like Steel Head, Hook Kick Leg, and Weight Vest (with qualities to match), Hung's team soon rises through the ranks via their supernatural Kung Fu soccer skills. There's also a love interest in the form of a shy girl (Vicki Zhao Wei) who uses martial arts magic in making steamed bread. MATRIX-style digital effects elevate the actor's martial arts skills to ludicrous heights, giving the clichéd story such a giddy, high-octane boost it soars into a comic class by itself. Soccer balls ripple through the air like slo-mo bullets, smashing through walls, and flying thousands of feet in the air. A box office smash in the East, SHAOLIN SOCCER should prove irresistible to open-minded Westerners looking for a laugh-out-loud experience.
Rating: PG (MPAA) Rating Reason: for action violence and thematic elements Runtime: 111 minutes DVD Code: Region 1 US, CA Genre: Foreign Films Color: Color Rating: DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33 Vicki Zhao, Vicky Zhao Wei, Zhao Wei, Vicky Wei, Vicki Chao, Mei Chiu, Ng Man-Tat, Cecilia Cheung, Cheung Pak-Chi, Baizhi Zhang, Lau Kar-Ying, Karen Mok, Wenwei Mo, Man Wai Mok, Karen Joy Morris, Alan Tam, Stephen Chow, Stephen Chiao
Stephen Chow, Stephen ChiaoYeong Kwok Fa
"...This movie represents comedy-action lunacy of a truly high, and endlessly bizarre, order..."
Premiere "[K]icked out with nutty energy by star, director and co-writer Stephen Chow."
Entertainment Weekly "The movie is crammed with pastiche, paying tribute to Sergio Leone westerns, 1970's bad-hair musicals and Bruce Lee." New York Times "[A]n infectious knockabout kung fu comedy with amusing special effects combined with breathtaking stunts." Los Angeles Times "[A]n amiably silly spoof of the sports-movie and martial-arts genres....[With a] broad, good-natured brand of knockabout..."
Sight and Sound "[T]he original spirit of star-director Stephen Chow's crowd-pleaser remains gloriously intact."
Uncut |