The movie does not bother with world building and jumps straight into an international women’s soccer tournament. The whole story centres on the debuting Emei (Emei is the female equivalent of the male-dominated Shaolin) soccer team. The story is so simplistic that it does not even explain how a first-time soccer team could compete against high-ranking teams in an international tournament.
As expected, Stephen Chow pokes fun at international teams, and some of the jokes proved insensitive enough to spark controversy with South Korea. The CGI is terrible by today’s standards. It’s obvious that the stadium and background spectators are computer-generated, and the super-powered action is awful low-budget stuff. It’s so obvious that it seems intentional… and funny. This is a comedy, after all. There is not much outlet for acting skills in this movie, but whenever there is an emotional scene, the leads do their parts well.
It is important to note that this movie is not for those looking for some serious (well, I doubt you will find any comedies enjoyable if you are looking for some serious in a comedy… get the joke?) soccer comedy (aside from those unavoidable standard yellow and red cards jokes). You will be disappointed.
Putting aside the simple storyline, terrible CGI, and controversy, unwind, and you will find yourself enjoying the jokes and funny moments. On top of that, the movie gives a few reminders on life’s lessons, too. If you are old enough to love Stephen Chow’s comedies, you will definitely find this movie entertaining.
Tip: Do not leave immediately once the credits roll. Just wait a while and be rewarded with a short clip.
