Shaolin Soccer

The film that kicks started a new era of Hong Kong Cinema. Not only did it win pretty much every award it was nominated for at the 2001 Hong Kong Film Awards, it is also, to this day, the highest grossing Asian movie ever. It also doesn't hurt that the movie is a blast to watch.

The story goes something like this. Stephen Chow, an ex-shaolin student, is now in the real world; and what an ugly world it is. He works parttime as a garbage man who tries to promote kung fu and the arts of shaolin fighting to anyone who would listen. Ng Man-Tat, an ex-soccer stars, was one of those fellow who listened to Chow's pursue of martial art mastery. Although Ng doesn't believe a thing he said, he soon find out that Chow is the real deal and forms a soccer team with Chow's other brothers during their training at Shaolin in order to win the soccer title.

The movie has all of Stephen Chow's trademark humor, but some people still wonders why he took home so many awards when he repeatedly reuse the same formulas for all his movies. Some say that because it did so well in the box-office, the awards were more of a rewards for bringing in the $$ into the Hong Kong film industry. And those who support these claims are morons.

Although I'm a little hard on them, but they fail to realize just how great and funny this movie is. It is hands down the most enjoyable Hong Kong movie of 2001, and it is the perfect blend of old Hong Kong movie style (Chow's typical humor and intense drama and action), with new world technology. It is one of the only films ever to be personal, commercial, cultural, local, global, humorous, and serious at the same time. Not until Kung Fu of 2004 has this been done again. And I will bet on anything that the next film to achieve such success will be another Stephen Chow's movie.

Year: 2001
Director: Stephen Chow, Lee Lik

9.2/10