(Please note this review is my own work, and was originally written for a now inactive website called DVDDebate.com)
Sing (Stephen Chow), the fifth of six brothers is down on his luck. He's living on the street and selling rubbish for pennies. His brothers are faring little better. Suffering demeaning jobs and crushing depression, they are all husks of their former selves. They used to be unbeatable Shaolin masters, but when their teacher died and they went their separate ways, they lost the will to pursue their art and let modern society get the better of them.
Sing's life changes forever when he meets Golden Leg (Man Tat Ng), a former soccer champ who lost his winning streak along with his magic striking leg when he threw a match many years ago. Golden Leg realises this intense young man's potential when he sees him in action for the first time and persuades him to train to be a soccer star.
With nowhere to go but up, Sing then sets about convincing his unwilling brothers to join him and form a team with a chance at stardom. Along the way he meets Mui (Vicki Zhao) a shy and damaged young
lady who takes a shine to his cocky charms.
Eventually the six men overcome their mutual awkwardness and come out of their shells to reveal a stunning talent with the ball. Their goal is set. They must beat the self-proclaimed "Evil Team" and their manager Hung, the very man who arranged Golden Leg's downfall all those years ago. After climbing their way up the leagues, the stage is set for an epic showdown which only one team will walk away from.
If all of this sounds overwhelmingly familiar, it is because this is classic underdog filmmaking all the way. Borrowing from the same table as The Full Monty and even 8 Mile, this is a tale of people who have less than nothing grabbing their chance at something special. It is all the more exhilarating for it. The sheer joy of seeing these clumsy fools win against overwhelming odds warms the cockles. The opposing teams are so powerful and radiant with malice that on more than one occasion the boys are divested of their outfits by the nuclear winds that accompany the strikes of their opponents.
Each brother is given a Shaolin name that resonates with classic Hong Kong storytelling; Iron Head, Hooking Leg, Iron Shirt, Weight Vest, Mighty Leg etc… and their powers all stem from their individual talents. This is basically an excuse to display ludicrous, cheeky martial arts manoeuvres that blend surprisingly well into the game of football. It also throws some astonishingly good special effects for such a low budget film. Players defy gravity, manipulate the scenery and kick the ball into orbit with swagger and panache. All most satisfying.
Borrowing heavily from obvious landmark films like the Matrix, and also the works of more classical HK directors such as Tsui Hark and Ricky Lau, this might sit uneasily on the fan divide. New martial arts fans seduced by the flashy production values of the Wachowski films and their imitators might find the silly behaviour, light-hearted and obviously cheap-as-onions, atmosphere boring and pointless, while HK purists may possibly find the OTT FX a distraction from the more classical choreography that would otherwise hold centre-field.
Ultimately, this is not a film in which much actual fighting goes on. It is a sports movie and party to all the clichés that this moniker brings. Taken for what it is (on a Friday night with some mates round) this will be a welcome treat for most fans of martial arts movies. Also, it's bloody funny, and I challenge the hardest of hearts not to swell like the Grinch's when you see these earnest ragamuffins kicking the round ball like they were born to.
Possessing a bizarre vein of humour that dabbles in both absurdity and parody (Jurassic Park, Game of Death) that won't fail to raise a smile, this is destined to become a cult favourite. Oh and here is the thing that should cement the film in the heart of any Doubting Thomas as a true oddity… I HATE FOOTBALL! Can't stand it. Bores me to tears, yet I hung on the edge of my seat and cheered these boys to victory like I was a die-hard football nut. I can't honestly name the last dedicated soccer film that achieved this with true aplomb.
The director's flare shines through and I have to say the film won me over with its compelling and graceful cinematography, energetic pace and the curious dignity that the hapless protagonists display, even when reduced to farcical tragic-comic figures. The movie is a triumph of the human spirit. Not flawless by any means, but cheerfully vibrant enough to stick in the memory and gain repeat plays every time you might need a supersonic chuckle.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Martial Arts - Director: Yimou Zhang - Original Language: Mandarin - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang
Production Year: 1985 - Martial Arts - Director: Cory Yuen - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Kurt McKinney, J.W. Fails, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kathie Sileno, Peter 'Sugarfoot' Cunningham
Production Year: 1990 - Martial Arts - Director: Jackie Chan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jackie Chan, Carol Cheng, Eva Cobo
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