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Shaolin Soccer

EMAILPRINTMiramax Films

Shaolin Soccer reviews
68
8.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 37 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Foreign

Written by: Stephen Chow
Kan-Cheung Tsang

Directed by: Stephen Chow

Release Date:
Theatrical: August 15, 2003
DVD: August 24, 2004

Running Time: 87 minutes, Color

Origin: Hong Kong / USA

Summary

RATING: PG for martial arts action and some thematic elements

Starring Stephen Chow, Vicki Zhao, Man Tat Ng, Yin Tse, Sarondar Li, Yut Fei Wong, Cecilia Cheung, Karen Mok, and Kar-Ying Law

At Kung Fu, they're masters. But when it comes to soccer, they're total disasters. Now, the only way to win...is to believe in Shaolin. (Miramax Films)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

88

Boston Globe Janice Page

As goofy action comedies go, Shaolin Soccer is one of the best.

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80

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Shaolin Soccer is "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with soccer balls, a touch of Sergio Leone and not one microsecond of seriousness.

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80

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

An infectious knockabout kung fu comedy with amusing special effects combined with breathtaking stunts.

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80

Slate David Edelstein

Whatever this universe is, you're inside it, with your mouth open, wishing that all sporting events could be this exhilarating, that all human bodies could work this way, that all simpleminded movies could be this mindfully empty-headed.

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80

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

Shaolin Soccer really loves what it mocks, after all, and that grandly goofy affection -- nay, joy -- for all things chop socky is purely, utterly contagious.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

Delightful blend of comedy, kung fu, soccer and special effects.

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75

USA Today Claudia Puig

Shaolin Soccer's infectious style has a way of lifting spirits. You don't have to be a fan of soccer or kung fu to enjoy it.

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75

Premiere Glenn Kenny

Comedy-action lunacy of a truly high, and endlessly bizarre, order.

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75

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Infectiously entertaining comedy.

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75

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Everything you've ever loved (or hated) but were afraid to laugh at in Asian martial-arts movies, ''Matrix''-ian bullet-time actioners, and Farrellyesque slapstick comedies -- all rolled into Hong Kong's highest-grossing local production ever.

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75

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Proving there's always a new way to tell an old story, Stephen Chow pulls out all the stops for one of the silliest, sweetest and most fun family films in recent memory.

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75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Ray Conlogue

One of Stephen Chow's extravagant and very funny martial-arts spoof movies.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It is piffle, yes, but superior piffle.

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70

LA Weekly John Patterson

The movie has a rambunctious and likable energy that compensates for its unsteady, only intermittently amusing narrative.

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70

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

A spirited crowd-pleaser.

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70

Film Threat Eric Campos

The one thing that keeps this movie from being an instant classic is its tendency towards childishly goofy humor. I guess it all depends on how you like your funny.

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70

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

The ridiculously entertaining Shaolin Soccer pulls out all the stops to make sure viewers stay happy.

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63

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

The movie overflows with action, slapstick and cliches, but the cliches never impede the action, and the slapstick is so expertly performed, it doesn't annoy you -- much.

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63

New York Post V.A. Musetto

If you're looking for substance in a Hong Kong movie, stick with Wong Kar-wai ("In the Mood for Love"). But if brainless, predictable fun will do, check out Shaolin Soccer.

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63

Miami Herald Peter Debruge

Shaolin Soccer applies everything you love about Hong Kong action flicks to the paint-by-numbers sports-movie formula.

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60

Dallas Observer Melissa Levine

It's mildly amusing, good for occasional laughs and satisfying grunts of appreciation. But it's far from inspired. It's just goofy and fun, sort of.

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60

Village Voice Ed Park

Crammed with wild action, obvious but well-mounted gags, and playful effects, the film is refreshingly silly.

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50

The New York Times A.O. Scott

So unabashed in its cheesiness that it could be spread on crackers; it may spike your cholesterol levels

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50

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The film's much-vaunted stunts are deliberately unrealistic, from over-the-top wire-work to CGI-soccer balls that streak through the air like flaming cannon balls.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 37 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Yousif A gave it 10:
This movie the one of the best movies I've ever seen!

FusionX gave it a9:
Great movie, while some parts didn't translate so well into english subs it was still a very funny movie, great special effects and a good cast, some of the over the stop stuff was absolutely hilarious! Just what you'd expect from a Stephen Chow movie, i'll give it a 9, good stuff.

Dave F gave it a7:
This movie is pretty damn funny. Sometimes it just falls into the "so bad, it's good camp", but other times the humor is genuinely clever. An over-the-top, deliberately cheesy flick...if Kung-Pow Enter the Fist had actually been hilarious it might have looked a little like Shao Lin Soccer.

James L. gave it a10:
Everyone who says it sucks needs to stop being so damn serious. It's purposefully stupid, and it works like a charm. Lighten up a bit, geez.

Renegade Chris gave it a9:
This film is made to amaze. Not taking itself seriously for one second, the story is entertaining and the visuals truly stunning. Even my friends who have no love of any form of HK action cinema get a kick out of this film. Perfect with a couple of pints and friends in need of a giggle or two. The subtitles (for I have a region 3 copy with no english dub) are truly pathetic translations, but they tend to add to the charm of the film. Perhaps being English I get more of a kick out of watching football at a hyped up level than our cousins over the big pond.

G.M. gave it a2:
I give this film a 2,because of its action sequences,but the screenplay just gave me a headache.This film is even not funny and the english version is dubbed horribley! The stupidest line must be "Phone home,Mui,you dont belong on earth".The year's most horrible film!

A Movie Critic gave it a 3:
I really don't see what the big deal is with this movie. It wasn't very funny, the characters were annoying, it was very predictable, and the attempted love story just didn't fit in at all with what was going on. I just found the movie boring. I give it a 3, though, because the "stunts" were very cool to look at.

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