The basic idea—rag-tag band of non-athletes using mystical kung-fu to win a soccer tournament, against insurmountable odds—is probably just cheeky, but the execution rises quite above simple spoofing and into a surreal comedic zone I can only compare to Bubble Boy, another narrow-target comedy that is a lot more subversive than it gets credit for. I wasn't able to see most of the jokes coming, mostly because the jokes aren't necessarily even jokes … they're unpredictably strange reactions to defiantly absurd situations. Utilizing visual effects usually reserved for stuff like Hero, and placing them into the rather banal context of underdog-sports-comedy is an undeniably brilliant move, and so you get lots of crazily impossible shots such as soccer balls being kicked literally into space and not falling back to earth for several minutes. The reactions are totally deadpan throughout, with no one thinking to question any of the bizarre outbursts or antics. Even the expected love story is not dealt with at all as it normally would be. The only places where Shaolin Soccer falters are in the bits that pander to an American sensibility … worst of all, a lame remix of "Kung Fu Fighting" tacked on at the end. The DVD contains the original Cantonese version as well (it runs about 15 minutes longer and has no "Kung Fu Fighting"-type concessions), though the US version is still entirely good, and probably a little more accessible. It's a rare case where I'd honestly recommend watching both.
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