This classic kung-fu soccer comedy starring Yuen Biao is presented in its worldwide debut on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration.
It’s available NOW for the first time ever in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range. And of course you can also find it on Amazon!
Trailer
Cast
Hong Kong action legend, Yuen Biao stars as “Lee Tong”. In the trinity of Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, Biao is probably considered the most acrobatic, often combining those talents with some incredible kicking skills, making him the perfect performer for this film’s action sequences.
Yuen Biao’s “big brother”, Sammo Hung, gave him his first breaks in the film industry, as a stuntman in productions such as Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon, Hapkido, and doubling for Bruce Lee in Game of the Death. It was also Sammo that promoted Yuen Biao to leading man status in the films Knockabout and the acclaimed The Prodigal Son, as well as taking the lead in Dreadnaught, directed by Yuen Woo-ping.
Biao later starred alongside his Peking Opera brothers Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in the movies Project A, Wheels on Meals, Dragons Forever, and the Lucky Stars trilogy. He has also co-starred with his equally acrobatic Opera brother Yuen Wah in The Iceman Cometh and Eastern Condors.
Cheung Kwok-keung co-stars as “Suen”. Cheung has appeared in dozens of filsm since the 1970s, including “Peking Opera Blues”, “Eastern Condors“, “Don’t Give a Damn”, “Firestorm”, and “Raging Fire“.
Legend of the Golden Age of Hong Kong movies, Dick Wei plays the villainous “King”. He has appeared in classics such as “The Prodigal Son“, “The Lucky Stars Trilogy“, “Millionaires Express“, “Eastern Condors“, “Dragons Forever“, “Pedicab Driver” and as the Pirate King in “Project A“.
Plot
THE CHAMPIONS Original 1983 Hong Kong Trailer
Lee Tong is a young farmer who has grown up in an isolated rural community. When an indiscretion lands him in hot water, he leaves his home in the countryside and heads for the big city – where he meets Suen, an urban soccer player who recognises Tong’s talent for the beautiful game and encourages him to try out for a pro team.
But Tong’s first chance at sporting glory is scuppered by a rivalry with the narcissistic King, who relegates the newcomer to cleaning up after his team mates. Having discovered a love for soccer, Tong soon accepts an offer to join a rival team – and the stage is set for a final confrontation with King on the pitch.
Action
The opening credits feature stars Yuen Biao and Cheung Kwok-keung having a kick about. But this is a Yuen clan Hong Kong movie, so there are some very impressive flips and kicks pinging the football across the screen.
There is a very amusing scene featuring some great physical stunts, with a group competing to climb various obstacles whilst their wrists are bound.
A “friendly” soccer match on a beach starts to introduce the kung fu skills and stunts into the tackles, passes and strikes. The game quickly descends into a brawl, with the sand providing the power powder and matting for the hard hits and falls.
“Don’t just stand around like a penguin!” Movie Clip
A Hong Kong action comedy about soccer is inevitably going to feature training scenes. Of course, this is going to be the literal interpretation of kung fu/ “achievement from your effort”.
The training features the usual incredible, occasionally painful looking, physical feats from Yuen Biao and the assembled stunt players. There are some really impressive and entertaining ball control skills on show. Even putting towels in lockers sees Yuen Biao showing of his kicking skills. It makes me wonder how many takes were used to film them!
These skills soon transition into the competitive games and are just as impressive, albeit a little unlikely to appear in a real soccer match!
“Tony scores two goals and wins the match” Movie Clip
Of course being a Hong Kong movie, ballroom dancing is turned into a duel between Dick Wei and Yuen Biao. If they feature the format on Strictly Come Dancing, I might consider watching it!
For all the light comedy, there is a brutal and deadly serious fight scene when Yuen Biao and Cheung Kwok-keung are ambushed in their car.
For the big finale, the stakes have never been higher. There are some great tricks, flicks and kicks, some captured beautifully in slow motion, and a few dirty tackles and tactics too! Yuen Biao pulls off some stunning passes with spinning kicks and shoots a goal with a wushu-style zheng ti tui (leg raise to forehead).
All in all, the choreography in this film presents kung fu action in a pretty unique way!
Summary
This is an underrated gem of a kung fu comedy. Particularly difficult for UK fans to get hold of back in the day, it predated Stephen Chow’s box office smash “Shaolin Soccer” by nearly 20 years.
Whereas Chow’s movie enhanced the action with special effects and CGI, this movie employs pure physical athleticism, to deliver this ambitious attempt to do something different to traditional kung fu films.
There is an informative audio commentary from Frank Djeng who is joined by F.J. DeSanto, as well as one from the double act of Arne Venema and Mike Leeder.
I loved Venema’s story about the worship of football manager Gus Hiddink in South Korea, and Leeder’s encounter with English soccer legend, Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne!
Self proclaimed soccer nut Arne Venema also presents a featurette about the formation of the Hong Kong All Stars celebrity football team. Film critic James Mudge hosts a treatise on the movie and how it compares to the kung fu and sport movie genres.
THE CHAMPIONS (Eureka Classics) Unboxing Video
I am huge fan of “Shaolin Soccer”, but where that movie is an out-and-out, almost cartoonish comedy, “The Champions” is much more in keeping with the amazing physical choreography that defined the unique action coming out of Hong Kong in the 1980s.
“The Champions” is an entertaining twist on the 1980s kung fu comedy beautifully restored and presented for fans to enjoy today!
Trivia
- In real life Cheung Kwok-keung is a huge soccer fan, plays for a celebrity team, and has commentated on matches for Hong Kong television.
- Over the years, the Hong Kong All Stars celebrity football team as featured Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Eric Tsang, Andy Lau, Michael Hui, and many other movie legends.
The Champions (1982) Blu-ray version – KUNG FU KINGDOM
