Campeonato dos Sonhos

Hopeful, emotional, sweet and uplifting!!

I was waiting for this movie for SO long, I think it was because if covid that was paused and it's finally here!

Big fan of Park Seo Joon and IU and first time ever seeing them together in something makes it so cool!

Fave part is the very special cameo of the amazing Kang Ha Neul who was Park Seo Joon co star in Midnight Runners and also acted with IU in the super famous kdrama Moon Lovers.

I love how quirky all characters are, the comedy its on point (Korean style comedy) and has the right amount of drama but doesn't get too heavy.

The overall stories are very emotional and you will find yourself going through a lot of different feelings throughout the whole movie, rooting for the characters to find happiness and keep fighting to beat the demons that once brought them to the situation they are in.

The message of the movie itself is very moving: Everyone in life has a different story and background and you will never know what will happen to you, so be kind, never give up and fight for what your want and for the people you love.

You will cry and smile with them and at the end you will have an amazing feeling of hope.

Watch it and enjoy this super heartwarming movie!

This is an aggressively average movie. It packs in all the usual clichés - the team sucks, a few players have some talent that isn't used (yet), the coach doesn't want to be there and gives up and then returns with an inspirational speech etc. - which is fine. Clichés are clichés for a reason: they work. But you have to DO something with them. You can't just plonk them in the script and think that's it. The fact that the team sucks is supposed to be funny - it isn't. When some players finally realise their potential it's supposed to be triumphant - it isn't.

The only thing that halfway works is the story arc of the coach and that has more to do with the actor's charisma than with the writing. Park Seo-Joon gets very little to work with, but he's good. As is Lee Ji-Eun. Their rivalry provides some much needed humour. Everything else is bland, even though the characters should be compelling. They're all down on their luck and they've all been through things, but they're written in such a way that it's hard to feel anything for them all.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, but hardcore fans of the two leads. If you want to watch a sports movie, there are loads of other, way better ones.

This is a strange movie.

The premise of a professional player helping a homeless-team in their upcoming Soccer World Cup could be an interesting one. Simple and grounded enough where character interactions and developments could make for a memorable story.. this isn't the case here. It all feels like excerpts of a "TV drama" instead, with scenes that come out of nowhere, are rushed, or undercooked. Everything with the lead's mother just goes too fast and I didn't care for! Then the cast of characters is presented and barely explored, which is fine.. but for their interactions to not develop into anything memorable or worth caring for either is a problem. The lessons learned, the arcs and emotional weight are just there to tick boxes. It all reminded me of the much better "Shaolin Soccer" film, with a similar team and problems. But that one feels better paced and is capable of cramming more story in its length to make it juicy.

Anyway, I quite liked the locations and most camerawork! But the small parts feel really small, even more so when compared to the "bigger" ones.

I can't really recommend this, as it is a product that feels like a lot of parts that don't add to something greater.

Personally, came to my attention because my country was shown (in trailers) to take part in the tournament (which is unusual to see), and was curious as to its inclusion. I'm also familiar with Park Seo-joon.. not because anything I saw in the trailers was enticing.

"It's not about winning. It's about showing up and never giving up."

I love sports movies that just hit different, you know? It's not even about the game half the time, it's about people fighting their own battles, feeling lost, broken, but still choosing to keep going. Funny, real, and somehow way more emotional than i thought it'd be. Park Seo-Joon and IU brought so much life to their roles, and the story wasn't just about soccer, it was about finding family and purpose.

Sports movies are honestly my favorite hopecore; messy, imperfect, but full of heart. They remind me that even when life feels impossible, there's always a chance to rise and heal.

I probably gave an extra point as I adore iu (Lee Ji Eun) and admire Park Seo-joon and I think the best part of the movie is their interactions. The movie looks at a group of down on their luck men who enter the homeless World Cup representing Korea, and their manager who initially is not interested and a young documentary maker. The movie aims to be a feel good motivational film about succeeding against adversity but I found it lacked any depth and the storyline was easily predictable. The advantage with the simplicity is that it is a movie which can be enjoyed as a family, where the underdogs win the hearts of the onlookers.