Shaolin Soccer (2001)

As I’ve made clear probably more than once, I’ve always been a sucker for action flicks. I’ve seen more than my overanalyzing brain could possibly think of and I plan on watching way more in the future. Lately, I watched Shaolin Soccer for the first time and I must say, it was absolutely one of the dumbest freaking movies I’ve ever watched in my life and yet I loved every second of it. I wasn’t sure the words “dumbest” and “loved” would ever go into the same sentence together but it feels totally appropriate to use them here. I’m not a huge Stephen Chow fan but I have seen Kung Fu Hustle and loved that film as well, so I was kind of looking forward to checking this film out. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into but my expectations were greatly exceeded. It was absolutely ridiculous and didn’t make one lick of sense but that’s what made it so much fun. In addition to starring, Chow also wrote, directed, and produced this film. And when it comes to what he does, he knows exactly what he’s doing. I found myself laughing so much during the whole thing and kept asking myself “what the hell?” throughout this but I mean that in the best possible way. I have more to add to this insane experience, so let’s kick things off here (pun intended).

     The film is about a former Shalin monk who reunites with his old brothers to form a soccer team and combine their martial arts skills with the sport. If you think that sounds silly, don’t worry, it gets even more bonkers along the way. If there’s anything you should know about a Stephen Chow movie if you don’t already, it’s that there’s not a whole lot of realism in them despite having some aspects that could be considered so or at least relatable. If you’re willing to accept that and not be a total buzzkill like I can be most of the time, then you’ll probably have the time of your life with this flick. Not only does it make for an over-the-top and hilarious kung-fu sports flick but in a weird way, it also kind of makes for an inspiring underdog story. Again, I’m saying different things in the same sentence that I wasn’t sure would ever go together and somehow they fit this film perfectly. I mean, if you can combine Kung-fu and soccer together in a movie that’s only an hour and twenty-seven minutes long, then I guess anything is possible. Another way of describing this flick would be like if you were on drugs but you didn’t actually take any because throughout this whole wacky journey, I kept asking myself if I was. Everything about this film was over-the-top, even the characters. I’ve watched a lot of movies in my life but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one with characters who go all out like the ones in this film. They all have so much energy and enthusiasm that you’ll probably be asking what stimulants everyone took before filming. Either way, that just adds to this crazy ride and you’ll have fun nonetheless.

     I don’t what else I can say about this flick that hasn’t been said already. Like I mentioned, it’s ridiculous, hilarious, and over-the-top but it’s well aware of being those things. It’s pretty obvious that Stephen Chow and the rest of the cast and probably the crew as well were having fun when they did this film and that’s exactly how it will be for you. That’s how it was for me, and that’s saying a lot for this neurospicy critic. For that, I would have to give this movie a 9 out of 10. If you like Stephen Chow, Kung-fu movies, sports flicks, or if you just want to feel like you’re high as a kite, then I recommend checking this film out at some point if you haven’t already. Probably the most enjoyment you’ll have watching a soccer game.