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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: Foreign Films

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 date)
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    Kung Fu and sports movies collide in writer/director/actor Stephen Chow's devilishly entertaining Honk Kong action movie.

    Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
    05/05/09
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Joe Lozito
    Joe Lozito
    Big Picture Big Sound

    Provided Chow survives being 'Miramaxed', you're looking at the next big Asian star to rise in the West.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    08/01/08
    Leigh Singer
    Leigh Singer
    Channel 4 Film

    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

    A spirited crowd-pleaser.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    03/26/07
    J. R. Jones
    J. R. Jones
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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

    ...as logical and giddy as a second grade classroom.

    Full Review Source: www.kcactive.com | comment Comment
    07/25/05
    Uri Lessing
    Uri Lessing
    www.kcactive.com

    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

    None of this is meant to be taken seriously or even thought about. So just turn off your brain and enjoy the silliness.

    Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
    05/27/05
    Jeff Vice
    Jeff Vice
    Deseret News, Salt Lake City

    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

    A blitzkrieg of hilarious kung fu craziness.

    Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
    05/02/05
    Nick Schager
    Nick Schager
    Lessons of Darkness

    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

    Not the classic it claims to be.

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

    The whole film is played with such an infectious sense of fun and at such a snappy pace that you can’t help being swept along by it.

    Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
    11/13/04
    Matthew Turner
    Matthew Turner
    ViewLondon

    Funny and warm.

    Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
    10/30/04
    Jonathan Trout
    Jonathan Trout
    BBC

    Até mesmo os efeitos visuais cartunescos se adequam ao tom de fantasia desta produção que, justamente por não se levar a sério, é surpreendentemente hilária.

    comment Comment
    10/25/04
    Pablo Villaca
    Pablo Villaca
    Cinema em Cena

    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

    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

    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
     
     
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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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