Shaolin Soccer

AroView: With an astounding mix of Eastern fantasy, CGI effects and the game of soccer, Hong Kong’s one-man comedy machine Stephen Chow kicks one out of the park with this elaborate, dynamic entertainment.

As always, Chow himself takes centre stage, here as a supernaturally-gifted shaolin disciple, who finds in football a gimmick that will bring greater public attention to the benefits of Shaolin Kung Fu. Together with a disgraced former-pro, he transforms a rag-tag bunch of misfits into a team of would-be soccer champs.

Although the set-up is hastily stir-fried in Hong Kong movie tradition, the short-comings take a backseat once the super-charged, brilliantly imaginative action kicks in, culminating in a cup final that blasts over-the-top of one’s wildest expectations.