Metegol

Oscar winner, Campanella has do it again.

Metegol (or Underdogs in the English version )is a technical achievement rarely seen outside USA. The first 3D animated movie produced in Argentina, has a technical quality (animation and images ) that easily compare and many time surpasses far more expensive PIXAR projects. Some scenes, like the soccer match, the chase in the dump and in the amusement park that are simply outstanding and pure fun.

In terms of story and characters; the movie is simple but effective.

Instead of the boring poetry and sadness PIXAR infuses in all its animations Campanella went for simple message ( never surrender, fight for what is yours ) with more complex morals for grown-ups ( life is more than games, without the other team there is no match) so kids and adults enjoy the movie.

Sadly that did not happened when I took my 5 year old daughter and her cousin to Monsters U, Cars 2 or even The LEGO movie; after the first half all they wanted was to leave or see something else; not a good sign for a kid's movie.

In brief; this a fresh movie on a subject like soccer that basically interest about 80% of the people on the world. I am not on that percentage but even the game scenes are so amazing you get hook up.

In a small town, the local pub is everyone's meeting point and for a young boy the plastic football game is his whole world. As with all boys, he had to deal with bullies and in a heated exchange he defeated the town's bully who swore to avenge this.

With the passing of time, the town's bully became rich and famous but the bitterness never subsided so he plans to take over this little town and destroy the pub in which he as defeated by what he considered a nobody. The boy who defeated him, is not prepared to sit and take it but will fight to the end to protect his home town.

On the whole, the story had cracks and was uninteresting so one ought not expect lots of excitement. The only compensation came from the good animation with a sense of seeing the world through the eyes of a young idealistic person.

It was an amazing experience I didn't surpass in years. This great film is not perfect but it is brilliantly made, incredibly animated and brings a lot of fun in every single minute. The story is a simple one, we watched in lot of movies before. But it touches you in the heart, as it does every time you see common, weak people fight to the powerful ones, just armed with passion, dedication and deliver; the kind of sensations you feel in Rocky I, Real Steel, The Boxer or much other films. Besides, it is equipped with small, funny references here and there, as the Major flying out in a helicopter, like in the 2001 Argentinean crisis. If you liked Cars, Toy Story, Monsters Inc, etc you cannot lose this masterpiece.

18th July. That was the premier date of Metegol in Argentina. I was expecting this date since days, months, even since the last year. I was determined to go to watch it immediately in the premier date, I was highly anticipating it, as I'm a fan of all the works by Campanella. I watched El Secreto De Sus Ojos, Luna De Avellaneda, El Hijo De La Novia, and the TV series Vientos De Agua. This I'm writing after returning watching Metegol in the cinema.

This is truly a masterpiece that will be remembered as a classic for years and years to come!!!! It is usual from this director, as all his films have become some of the finest and most successful both in the box-office and by critics alike. Campanella has done it again. He has proved that he is made of what Oscar winners are made of. He has proved how an animated film could also be done. He is pioneering and leaving a mark in the history of films. And he is making proud his own country, Argentina.

Metegol (or Foosball, as it will be called in English-speaking countries) makes you immerse in the rich and legendary folklore of football from Argentina. Stories, tales, legends, anecdotes, songs, matches, everything is freshly caught in the screen, in the atmosphere, in the characters. The little town, the bar, the corner where the foosball laid. Everything is familiar, and everything makes you remember the times when you played and breathed those places...

Without doubt the best of the film are the characters. And specially the characters dialogs. Everything they say is a reference to famous folklore cites and famous players sayings. The film is packed with subtle references to several history episodes, like when Grosso shouts his goal to the camera, he is shouting it like Maradona did one of his in the 1994 USA World Cup. When the town major leaves the town, he leaves in a helicopter, like in 2001 did the Argentine president De La Rua (and then the 2001 Argentine crisis was unleashed). And I could continue with more and more references and trivia, but I think it will be tastier if you find them for yourself ;) The other thing of Metegol which is the best, is its animation. OH GOD, THE ANIMATION. You would think that Tangled has set the bar in animation films, with the 260 millions it has cost to be made. Metegol was made with a much lower budget, just 20 millions of dollars. But you don't realize the difference of budgets. In fact you don't realize this is not a film made by Pixar nor Dreamworks. Metegol makes the eye-candy enthusiast rejoice in the vividness of the sequences, and makes the spectators hold tight in their seats as the action-paced scenes go on. In animation academies and schools, one of the classic tests you would have is to make an animation of a ball jumping. In Metegol you see the ball jumping, bouncing around the corners, passing between legs, hitting the body parts, kicked, flying, zig-zagging, being head-butted, being stopped by a player's foot, being handled in several football tricks, and so on. This film truly will be shown in animation academies for years and years to come, pointing out what animation can do. All things considerate, 20 millions of dollars make this film the single one most expensive in the entire Argentine film history, so in a certain way in this film Campanella truly is betting high.

In a trip to Euro-Disney I ate in a restaurant in the park, which was decorated with baseball photos and American imagery. On a wall, there was a picture that said "to understand the American way of thinking, you have to understand the sport of baseball". So watching Metegol could be a nice introduction to Argentine culture, folklore and philosophy. And I will rephrase that one saying I read in a picture on a wall, "to understand the Argentine way of thinking, you have to understand the sport of football". ;)

I took a chance with a seed of doubt given that all the posted reviews appeared to originate from the same country of movie's origin. Being both a soccer and animation fan I was hopeful that was written was somewhat truthful.

It's a story with a life lesson that as a coach I teach my players each year: everyone has something to contribute and it is the will and determination within you and your team, that can make all things possible on or off the field.

Let there be no doubt... this movie ROCKS! A funny, action packed, highly entertaining movie with an incredible rendering of visuals that will leave you rewinding scenes over and over again. The teardrop scene, if you look closely, was absolutely stunning in so many ways.

All soccer scenes, both on the foosball table and on the field, were meticulously drawn up with such creativity that only a true soccer aficionado could imagine. For the soccer field scenes, the footwork was so realistic that you can tell they researched and replicated the best players in the world.

Disregard the naysayers, this movie is of 100% 'Toy Story' quality both in terms of story and production. Watch it with your kids and enjoy the ride.

Gooolaaaasssoooo!