Boh ngau

This film is a must for everyone. This film is a wonderful blend of light comedy and the best football (soccer) action ever committed to celluloid. Despite the fact it stars an all-star cast, it has hardly any martial arts in the film (apart from one absolutely hilarious tango-fight scene!).

Yuen Biao stars as a an acrobatic country hick who accidentally injures a wealthy socialite during a hilarious pre-credits competition. After running away, he joins a soccer team who discovers his talents, and subsequently joins the team. Despite the martial arts adept cast, there is no virtually no martial arts in the film. In fact all the action choreography, provided by the fantastic Yuen Woo Ping stunt team, goes on the absolutely exhilarating, jaw dropping, soccer games. Yuen Biao, as usual, provides a wonderful performance while Dick Wei also provides a great portrayal as the arrogant soccer player villain. Moon Lee is also quite brilliant and beautiful as the sister of Yuen Biao's friend.

This is a treat for all the family. Unlike most family films, filled with too much sentimental rubbish with jokes only for the little kids. This film has no profanity, no blood and guts, no sex, yet it is a fantastic underrated classic for all the family. They don't make them like this anymore.

Ever start watching a movie and wondering if it was even going to be good? This movie answers that question by the time the opening credits finish and the answer is a loud "Hell Yes!" Yuen Biao is the other guy in the Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung trio in "Dragon's Forever". Sammo became a super star despite his weight, Jackie overcame less than average looks but Yuen Biao never got past poor skin.

He did make some fabulous movies on his own credit such as "Dreadnaught", "On the Run" and his own personal favorite "The Kid from Tibet". I also give the man credit for the greatest stunt in martial arts movie history. Of course that is quite a claim and many might disagree. In "The Millionaire's Express" Yuen Biao stands on a two story building roof peak. He does a simple forward flip 360 rotation to the ground. Alone. No wires. Perfect. Force equals mass times acceleration means his feet hit the ground with the impact of a car crash at about 35 mph and he just walks off.

But back to this movie. The stunts with the soccer ball seem impossible. Some of it is just excellent film edits but most is real. You will re-wind or whatever to see them again and again. The story is well written and that almost never happens in these movies. The writer simply kept the suspense and tension by making everything worse for the protagonist until the ending. The pacing is unrelenting. There is always something going on.

Though there are plenty of fights this is action comedy not martial arts so it has broader audience appeal. Finally despite being over 30 years old any modern viewer can watch it as if it was made last year.

I rate it 8 out of 10 and I am holding back on 9 out of 10 and highly recommend it for anyone in need of 90 minutes of fun.