Offscreen
SHAOLIN SOCCER
Stephen Chow
Hong Kong / China, 2001, 113’
A group of Shaolin Monks combines martial arts and football into an explosive whole.
A fallen-from-favour football coach puts together a new team of former Shaolin monks, who use their unique fighting styles in their games. The team captain is Shaolin Master Sing (Hong Kong superstar Stephen Chow), who uses his ‘steel legs technique’ to kick the ball into the goal at lightning speed. The objective is to win the national tournament, with its million dollar prize, but a corrupt football bobo thinks up a nasty plan to thwart the Shaolin team.
Actor-director Stephen Chow mixes martial arts and football into an explosive whole. The combination of limitless physical humour, the pithy dynamics of a competitive team sport, dizzying digital effects and traditional kung fu acrobatics make Shaolin Soccer a deliciously absurd and at the same time hilarious comedy.
© Films de l’Élysée