This has to be one of the goofiest, dumbest, strangest - and funniest - films ever made! It made sound like a cliché, but you truly have to see this movie to believe it. It's that outrageous, far-out: a slapstick film containing martial arts, supernatural power and the sport of soccer.

We get the usual misfits-make good story, which is nothing new, but how it happens in unlike anything I've ever seen. I can't recall how man times I literally laughed out loud watching these ludicrous scenes. The climactic soccer game at the nd got carried away, of course, but it was still fun to watch.

Earlier in the story, the bizarre dialog, odd encounters with different characters and the humor is stupid many times.....but so stupid, it's comical! I just shook my head in amazement at what I was seeing and hearing. Be prepared, as I said, for some incredible dumb things, but also for much weird but definitely entertaining stuff.

Note: I watched the short "English theatrical version" which runs 89 minutes. You can also view the 112-minute Chinese version. From what I've heard, read, and witnessed, the 89- minute is sufficient. Any more of this insanity would be too much.

Wow--did I really love this film! So far on IMDb, I have reviewed well over 1000 films and I must say that this is about the most original, refreshingly different and funny film I have seen in years. Without a doubt, it is the best Chinese film I have seen and may be even better than my favorite Japanese comedy, HAPPINESS OF KATAKURIS. It is on-par with the funniest American and British films as well!! How it has a ratings in the mid-7s on IMDb, I really don't know except that, perhaps, there are a lot of "stick in the muds" who have absolutely no sense of humor! You MUST see this film.

This movie succeeds because it is a perfect melding of a traditional sports movie (it's highly reminiscent of the American film DODGE BALL) with WAY over-the-top CROUCHING TIGER-type martial arts special effects--with a little Bruce Lee thrown in as well (the one goalie even looks like Lee). And, from start to finish it is just plain funny--even the opening credits are great.

The film is about an ex-soccer player who was knocked out of the sport when he missed a penalty kick and was savagely beaten by the crowd. The the film advances 20 years to the present where this same man is still down-and-out and wanting revenge against his old boss--the owner of "Team Evil"! Well, he meets a very strange poor guy dedicated to Shaolin Kung Fu and realizes this guy's amazing and super-human powers can he used for soccer. Once he convinces the guy to join a new team, this Kung Fu master summons his older, overweight and completely un-athletic appearing brothers to form the basis for a team. These apparent losers, though, turn out to be highly reminiscent of the 5 Chinese Brothers from the old children's story--with super-human skills of their own. One brother can kick a ball so high it takes an hour to hit the ground, another has a head of steel, another can carry the ball on his chest, and another is a goalie who is apparently invincible and can score against the other team all the way from his own goalie box!! They enter the national tournament and all appears ready for them to take the championship AND the $1,000,000 prize---until Team Evil unveils their newest secret weapon!! Will the good Shaolin soccer team prevail or will Evil win the day?? Tune in to see it and be completely amazed and bowled over by the amazing and funny special effects--plus a lot of great twists and turns along the way! This film really has heart and is great fun for anyone EXCEPT total stick-in-the-muds who can't laugh and suspend all disbelief for this wonderful fantasy. You must see this film. Now--go on, get up and get the DVD,....NOW!

PS--the DVD has 2 very different versions--the American version (less than 90 minutes long) and the original version which is about 20 minutes longer and is subtitled. My review is based on the subtitled version. I would never consider watching the shorter version, as every moment I spent watching this film was pure gold--how could any clod consider cutting perfection down to 89 minutes?!

SHAOLIN SOCCER is a real mixed bag of a film, that is both wildly uneven and wildly entertaining. Starting off on very dodgy, unfamiliar ground (if you think Jackie Chan's style of comedy is bizarre, you've seen nothing),I began by wondering what on earth I was watching. However, once the film gets onto the subject of football (about 45 minutes in),things start to get really good, as the typically inept group of kung fu fighters form a team and get ready for one heck of a match.

Stephen Chow throws in plenty of diverse elements to keep the viewers watching, from numerous references to films (e.g. THE MATRIX) and actors – including a goalie who's the reincarnation of Bruce Lee. The comedy is of the hit and miss variety but there are some genuinely funny moments, which tend to be the most bizarre of the film – including the 'egg' joke which has to be seen to be believed. The acting is fine, if a little over the top (but in light of the film as a whole, how could it not be?) and the special effects, done using CGI, are fantastic.

The strength of this film lies in the football matches. There are about five spread throughout the film and they're brilliant; if you've ever wanted to see players flying through the air, spinning around upside down, or lots more crazy things, then this is the film to watch. Make no mistake, I hate football, I loathe sport in general and find it stultifyingly boring, but SHAOLIN SOCCER breathes life into the game. The end match is the best part of the film, surprisingly violent but with the scene in which the goalkeeper's clothes are torn off by the power of the ball, you can't help but watch, gape, and laugh at the sheer insanity of it all. Unlike anything else you'll ever see.