Out of Hong Kong comes Shaolin Soccer, easily one of the best movies I watched this year. I've been waiting for it to be out on DVD forever. We watched the US Theatrical Version instead of the Original Chinese Version, mostly out of fear that the other wouldn't be subtitled. I'm told the Original is better though; I'll check that out next time.

Basically, this movie asks the question: what if kung fu masters turned their attention to soccer? Hilarity ensues.

This is a great movie. Clever while staying true to its genre and funny without ever being cruel.

The most interesting part, for me, came with the revelation about Team Evil in the finals (yes, the opposing side really is called Team Evil). We know going in that the other team in the finals is going to be able to fight back Shaolin-style; the only question is how. Naturally, I assumed that they would just have Shaolin monks as well -- but the real answer, (spoiler) that they've been pumped up with "American drugs", is a lot more interesting, especially with its suggestion that there is more than one way to summon the mystical power that drives the Shaolin Soccer team. The last image in the movie is also, in a way, a callback to this -- (spoiler) a billboard that reads "Shaolin Craze Hits America," the ultimate victory being the spreading of Chinese influence even to America.. Those two moments, along with other metafictional and genre-bending moments throughout, made this movie more than just a joke; it's a work of art.

Pick up this DVD.