Shaolin Soccer
Grade:
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Plot Summary:
Six Shaolin trained brothers use their kung-fu skills to play soccer. Much silliness ensues...
Opinion:
Foreign films, by definition, can be somewhat inaccessible to local audiences simply because of their...well,
foreignness. Like trying a new food, watching movies from other countries and in other languages requires a certain amount of bravery...yet those open-minded enough to try are often rewarded by fantastic new experiences. Looking at the foreign movies usually imported for exposure in the U.S., the most common are dramas, with a few romances thrown in. (Drama and romance being fairly universal, thus, despite the culturally foreign elements in the material, are generally more accessible to Americans). Comedy, though, is a whole other beast. Few other genres have more inherent ties to local culture than a comedy--as what seems funny to you is almost entirely dependant on the society you grew up in. Has there really been any foreign comedies that have gained great exposure and popularity in the U.S.? At the same time, have there been any U.S. comedies that have become big hits overseas? (Monty Python, while still technically 'foreign', may be one that's become quite popular in the U.S., but The Baroness and our other Chinese friends still have a hard time understanding "Holy Grail". That culture thing again...)
Which brings us to "Shaolin Soccer"--one of the only 'pure' Chinese comedies (or any foreign comedies for that matter) to have been given any kind of wide release in the U.S. at all. For those who think (understandably) that Chinese movies as a whole tend to be stark and depressing (The Baroness has a saying: "If no one dies at the end--or goes insane--it's not a Chinese movie..."), then "Shaolin Soccer" is just what you need. And, yes, to answer the obvious question, Shaolin Soccer is quite funny--even from a foreigner's perspective. The brainchild of actor/director (and Bruce Lee lookalike) Stephen Chow, "SS" has a mix of witty lines, broad physical comedy, and not a little bit of "Python"-style weirdness. While some of the subtle dialogue jokes will go over the head of non-native Chinese speakers, there is still a wealth of fun and laughs to be had, and our screenings of "SS" for our non-Chinese friends and relatives has had very positive responses.
Plotwise, the movie is pretty much exactly what you think a movie called "Shaolin Soccer" would be about. Six Shaolin kung-fu trained brothers are persuaded by a former soccer coach to use their kung-fu skills to play soccer, and go up against the "Evil Team" in the championship soccer tournament. If you've seen any sports movie before, you'll recognize the familiar cliches of the genre: first, the forming of the team, then the training, and then the final showdown with their arch-rival in the championship. Yet, I doubt you've seen a sports movie where kung-fu warriors use martial arts moves and "X-Men"-like fire and wind powers to blow by opponents and score goals.
Shaolin Soccer does a few things especially right which deserve comment. It doesn't lose sight of the characters: each of the six brothers has their own "superpower" (if you will) and their own personality. We're not talking deep characterizations here, since SS is at heart just a light, silly comedy, but enough so that you know the members of the team and root for their success in the "Big Game" at the end. Also, unlike a lot of comedies, SS doesn't have all the good gags at the beginning and then lose steam at the end. The last half-hour--especially the "Big Game"--has some of the funniest parts of the entire movie and ensures SS ends on a high note.
Comedy is still highly subjective, of course, but if you're the kind of person who loves off-the-wall, silly comedy--and don't mind somewhat cheesy special effects and badly translated English subtitles--then check out "Shaolin Soccer".
Content Analysis: (Original version not rated, US abridged version PG-13)
Shaolin Soccer leans towards gross humor occasionally, but isn't dirty. (And no fart or vomit jokes, fortunately...) The original Asian version of the film has swear words pop up in weird places which is unfortunate since it doesn't seem to be a direct translation from the Chinese (of course, I'm hardly a native speaker...) The PG-13 rating is about right, although we've screened it for 8 and 10 year olds comfortably.
In-depth Analysis:
"Shaolin Soccer" is not a movie conducive to deep analysis--it knows what it is, a silly cheesy sports movie and kung-fu movie wrapped into one and it doesn't have (nor need) a deep message of any kind. It is interesting, though, to look at some of the cultural differences in the movie, related to humor. There's more physical violence (and blood) played for laughs than you would normally see in a US comedy. This is in keeping with 'normal' kung-fu movies which also have the hero(es) getting beat up a lot, yet bounce back up to win in the end. Even though American audiences are known for preferring violence in movies above all other cultures, you rarely see actual bloodshed in a comedy, which might be somewhat off-putting for those not accustomed to Chinese sense of humor. (Jackie Chan's movies, while not strictly 'comedies', are also known for getting him hurt in comic ways for a cheap laugh...)
Also interesting is a scene where a girl is slapped by a guy a couple of times--also played for laughs. While pretty harmless in the movie, this is another thing you probably wouldn't ever see in any American comedy.
Random Notes and Comments:
(1) The U.S. released version is quite a bit shorter than the original version. I haven't seen it, but it appears that most of the non-soccer scenes (mostly involving the 'romance' between Chao and Mui) were cut. I've heard the US DVD has both versions, so you can check out the longer (and better) version there.
(2) I have no idea where Mui's acne went in the final game...but, hey, who cares?
