Film Name: 少林足球 / Shaolin Soccer
Shaolin Soccer.
One of Stephen Chow’s later films. I don’t think it ever got a mainland release back then, or something like that—it’s not very well-known. I only heard about it myself this past January.
But after watching it, I fell in love instantly. I’m seriously recommending this one. Personally, I think it’s the best film in Stephen Chow’s entire catalog.
Forgive my clumsy words—I don’t quite know how to describe the feeling after watching it. Can this even be called a review? Spoilers ahead.
Unlike his earlier pure slapstick or later socially satirical works—perhaps due to different life experiences—other films feel heartfelt, thrilling, and laugh-out-loud funny, with happy endings that leave you satisfied. Yet they often feel… shallow, just entertainment consumed and forgotten.
But this one is different. From the opening scene of the beauty slipping on a banana peel, the auntie parking her car, the gardener trimming plants, to the garbage collector learning kung fu—it hooks you bit by bit through these ordinary characters. Every step they take toward their dreams feels relatable. The Golden Right Foot limping, the Invincible Iron Head Technique, the Whirlwind Earth Hall Kick, Golden Bell Shield, Iron Shirt, Ghost Shadow Grappling, Mighty Golden Leg, Water-Walking Lightness Kung Fu—all abandoned for difficult, menial jobs. Spurred on by the protagonist, they rise one by one. After enduring countless humiliations, fire burns in their eyes as they fight tooth and nail to win match after match. Paired with the soundtrack, it ignites your whole being. In the final match, the boss declares, “The entire arena is filled with our men.” Eleven underdogs, armed only with their martial arts and dreams, face the entire stadium. The tension was palpable. The goalkeeper gets knocked down by a drugged opponent, his arm bent at an unnatural angle as his clothes tear and peel away. The scene is somewhat comical, yet utterly unsettling. What stuck with me most was that senior brother with the Golden Bell and Iron Shirt skills. Before stepping in as goalkeeper, he called his beloved—a detail many might’ve missed, as I only learned later that in the uncensored Cantonese version, after he whispered “I love you,” the voice on the other end immediately replied, “I’m not Ah Chun, I’m Ah Keung.” Sorry, Ah Keung, could you please pass on what I just said to your wife? Thanks!” Unfortunately, this scene was inexplicably cut. After uttering his final confession, he charged onto the field. Balls pelted him until his skin split open, yet he insisted he was fine, that he could take it. Watching that scene, my heart ached deeply—a pain that felt like my own brother was being brutalized. I know nothing about filmmaking, but whatever magic created that feeling pulled me completely into the story. My eyes widened, pupils contracted, and I stared fixedly at the screen.
What’s the difference between a person without dreams and a dried fish? The fire in my heart will never die! This is a comedy that makes you laugh through tears. While in reality, humble dreams rarely win anything—a bitter irony we all know—this film shows us what fairy tales are made of. By the end, it reignites all the passion we once had, suddenly giving us the resolve to fight one more time.
Perhaps words like “hope” and “dream”—straight out of elementary school essays—sound too cliché. So let me rephrase it: every word in this line captures human aspiration, reality, and helplessness with such stark clarity. Who among us butchers hasn’t dreamed of becoming a great dancer?