Stephen Chow films have always been a favorite of mine, most of it are cringe comedy but even then, it’s still funny as hell. We grew up watching these kinds of films even though we didn’t understood most of what was being said, these were very entertaining.

A team comprising of different characteristics always intrigues me. It’s much like how a party is formed in Dungeons and Dragons or in some other video games. The martial arts-based names of the characters here are interesting. Everyone loves an underdog, however silly they are, you’re going to want to root for them, and they’re definitely a force to be reckoned with.

The cast here was perfect. I couldn’t have imagined anything better. If you’ve watched some of Hong Kong’s films before, you know the actors are very well known. You’d also see them working together on other projects as well, much like Adam Sandler and his friends. The comedy here, as always with Stephen Chow, always got me laughing, but to each their own. Some of it were predictable but the way they execute it was perfect, it was very exaggerated and made me tear up.

The movements and effects they used for their Kung-Fu scenes were very 90s and instantly triggered nostalgia. They combined actual movements and CGIs to exaggerate it as much as they could, and it worked well for them. It was funny, comical, yet gritty with their action scenes during their games. It was very entertaining, not really sure if it was really based on real Kung-Fu moves, but cinematography-wise, it was perfect.

Special mention to the character “Empty Hands”, the goalie. His character pays an homage to Bruce Lee. Every ounce of his character oozes Bruce Lee. He even wore the yellow and black jumpsuit from Game of Death (1978). At the latter part of the film, he’s seen wearing the big lens sunglasses that Lee was famous for.

Honestly, Shaolin Soccer is one of the funniest and most enjoyable movies I’ve ever seen. Whether you watch it in Mandarin or English, it still grabs your attention. I’m not usually a huge fan of Eastern cinema, and I sometimes struggle with Kung Fu films that aren’t from the U.S., but Shaolin Soccer is different. It’s one of those movies I can watch over and over. While the special effects might feel outdated, they actually add to the humor of the film.

Stephen Chow is a very underrated genius—he makes Eastern cinema enjoyable even for people like me. Kung Fu Hustle is another movie I can watch multiple times, and I really wish more Eastern films were made by Stephen Chow.

Towards the end of the film, everything went crazy. The scene transitioned from a normal shaolin infused soccer game to a battle between good and evil. It was a bit cheesy, but they handled it so delicately that it fits the moment. This is definitely on my top comedy films list.