SHAOLIN SOCCER
(Chow / Hong Hong / 2001 / 111 mins / cert 12a)
(Fri 3rd-Sat 4th at 9pm + Tues 7th-Wed 8th at 7pm / £4/3/2ttt)

Shaolin Soccer combines superb Matrix-style effects, martial arts, and the underdog sports team genre. Sing (Stephen Chow) is a Shaolin master who is now living homeless on the streets. He tries to spread the word about the power of Kung Fu and Shaolin teachings to the busy masses milling about in the city, with little success. One day, he meets Fung (Man Tat Ng) who once was a famous soccer star nicknamed "Golden Leg." who is now crippled and has even been drummed out of soccer coaching by the evil Hung (Yin Tse). Inspired, Sing decides to organize his own team in the hope of capturing what appears to be a national championship complete with a one million dollar prize.

The film keeps up a dizzying pace, with plot elements zipping by so quickly that an unconditioned viewer can become lost and (due to its gore and gross-out humor) nauseous, as riding on a very rickety roller coaster. The plot veers about, often stepping outside the conventional. Hong Kong movie lovers have been bitching and moaning on internet fan sites for over a year about the dubbing, disasterous test screenings, re-editing and re-soundtracking of this feature. Now you can finally see what all the fuss was about. You may well be suprised...