Metegol

(No spoilers ahead)

Kids who watch violent movies will enjoy this. It has a few original ideas that can be entertaining for adults as well. However, the interactions between characters are very much put-down based and some other interactions are borderline for what I'd like my kids to see. A pretty disturbing scene is how the bad guy treats the female interest or another scene where rats are introduced as a menacing creature. There were some lovely efforts to create a structured flowing story with some points of emphasis about friendship and sportsman-like behavior. In short, production value is wonderful and if your kids watch ninja turtle style stuff, I'm sure they'd love this one. 8/10 for those kids. 6/10 for everyone else.

I loved this movie... excellent animation... funny story... A great movie for soccer fans. You should not loose the opportunity to watch it. It has excellent quality animation (like Disney / Pixar), but with Latino humor. A lover of Futbolín has a big challenge, and has to do it for real to defend his hometown. A movie that has become the best selling tickets movie in Argentina. Directed by a Oscar winner "Juan Jose Campanella". PRODUCTION NOTES Metegol (Foosball). Argentina/ Spain, 2013. Written by: Juan José Campanella, Eduardo Scacheri and Gastón Gorali, based on Roberto Fontanarrosa's short story Memorias de un wing derecho. Directed by: Juan José Campanella. Voiceovers: Horacio Fontova, Pablo Rago, Fabian Gianola, Diego Ramos. Opening on 258 screens in Argentina on 35mm prints, 3D digital and 2D digital. Distributed by: UIP. NR. Running time: 100 minutes.

Having read the IMDb I am no longer sure of the movie's title but I'm calling it The Unbeatables because that was definitely the name on the print I saw. And I am pleased I saw it. The animation is just fabulous. Those great colors and funny details. The characters are lots of fun, the plot keeps moving, and the jokes are great and just keep coming. I especially liked the witty lines about football. No I'm not a great football fan but I loved this movie. It cleverly celebrates football and at the same time has a much needed pop at it. Campanella is a great film maker. If you have seen The Secret in their Eyes then you would not expect this. He has such range. The Unbeatables is a very good comedy.

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.