Shaolin Soccer
Snobbery comes with all forms of art expertise. There are those who have refined their tastes, plunging to the depth of history to convulse about historical art. Debates and arguments often follow are rooted in knowledge, true, but they can regurgitate the most banal and ridiculous opinions that’ll happily dismiss someone else’s viewpoint for their smug own. I must admit, I’ve done this. I do it a lot. When someone talks about blockbusters and have no idea about the back catalogue of films, I can get dismayed and roll my eyes, coming off like, for want of a better word, a cunt (then again, with some movies, I am utterly justified in rage).
The reason for this exposition is that people in the Western World often stuff the cheeks with pouncy sentences about foreign films, believing that because it has subtitles, it is automatically better than any shit America could come up with. But if you have seen Apartment 1403, The Happiness of the Katakuris and One Missed Call, you’ll know that actually – this isn’t the case. These movies aren’t refined at all and you can spoof an entire genre or two, convey your insanity, with subtitles too. Entire Shaolin Soccer, the craziest mad-capped film to come out of Hong Kong. The movie clashes the ancient art of Shaolin Monks with football as Sing, a master of martial arts meets an ex and betrayed footballer Fung. Going up the evil team aptly named Team Evil, can they pull together players who, by now, have forgotten their craft?
There are no words that can true encapsulate the sure mental antics that are going on screen. And to an untrained eye, it may merely be bonkers because the makers behind it had no clue how to create an accurate film. When really, comedic master and Shaolin Soccer’s director Stephen Chow knows exactly what makes you chuckle. The rambunctious silliness and spirit to the film makes it a riotous film. Once you get used to the pure insanity unravelling in front of your eyes, you’ll realise that Chow’s ridiculousness comes from mustering a lot of heart and balancing it with jokes that are on point and crazy.
In similar retrospect to how you felt watching Monty Python for the first time, Chow is clearly intellectual and referential throughout the film, that sends up greats such as Jurassic Park and more. He has astutely broken down what makes martial art films and sporting films triumphs and really sends it up in a smart fashion. Chow has captured that way of filmmaking where you time how you want the chuckles to hit and it’s enormously well done. Plus, all of the cast involved really are striving hard for a finished product that is divine and eloquent and…
Oh who am I kidding? That’s enough pretention. Shaolin Soccer knows exactly what it is and isn’t apologetic for it. Don’t accept anything less than an uproarious film that will put a smile on your face (with just a tinge of that ‘what the fuck?’ eyebrows, you know the ones). You’ll laugh, then you’ll laugh some more and then you’ll laugh so hard that you may break something. It’s so stupid that it has to be clever.