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Shaolin Soccer
少林足球
2001 113 min Hong Kong, China PG 18+
★7.5
Action, Comedy
Director: Stephen Chow
Trailers
Description
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.
Budget:
$10M
US Gross:
$489,600
Worldwide:
$42.78M
Starring
Stephen Chow
Actor
Wei Zhao
Actor
Yat-Fei Wong
Actor
Awards
12 wins & 19 nominations total
Key opinion
Shaolin Soccer is widely celebrated as a creative and energetic fusion of martial arts and sports that benefits from Stephen Chow’s distinct comedic vision. While fans praise its originality, infectious enthusiasm, and inventive action, detractors find the humor juvenile, the visual effects dated, and the acting far too cartoonish.
| Originality | The film's high-concept premise of blending Shaolin kung fu with soccer is widely praised as a brilliant and original piece of genre-bending. | |
| Acting | Stephen Chow’s performance as the optimistic, penniless kung fu promoter serves as an effective emotional anchor for the film's chaotic energy. | |
| action | The film features elaborate, stunt-heavy action sequences that many viewers find spectacular and entertaining. | |
| Production | Opinions on the visual effects are polarized: some viewers appreciate their vivid, creative charm, while others dismiss them as cheap, dated, and unconvincing. | |
| Humor | Reactions to the humor are divided between those who enjoy the film's idiosyncratic, farcical, and witty tone and those who find it crude, mean-spirited, or circus-like. | |
| Acting | Critics and audiences disagree on the acting style, with supporters admiring the cast's total commitment and energy, while detractors criticize the performances as overacted and lacking depth. |