Shaolin Soccer English Dub -

Yes. But with a caveat.

If you want to understand why Shaolin Soccer was nominated for awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, watch the original Cantonese version. But if you want to laugh until your sides hurt at a bizarre, chopped-up, wildly-voiced rendition of a kung-fu sports movie, the Shaolin Soccer English dub is an essential piece of cult cinema history.

Just don’t expect it to be faithful. Expect it to be weird. Expect it to be loud. And above all, expect to hear the words "kung fu" and "soccer" repeated about a hundred times in 87 glorious minutes.

Have you seen the Shaolin Soccer English dub? Do you prefer the cheeky Miramax voice cast or the original Cantonese? Let us know in the comments (and remember: it’s all in the reflexes). Shaolin Soccer English Dub

"Shaolin Soccer" is a 2001 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the movie. The film is a mix of sports, comedy, and action, featuring elements of Shaolin Kung Fu. It was well-received for its blend of humor, martial arts, and sports.

Before we dive into the voice acting, it is crucial to understand the "Dub Wars." The original Cantonese version of Shaolin Soccer runs approximately 113 minutes. It features Stephen Chow’s original vision, complete with a subplot about a "gentlemanly" soccer match and darker comedic tones.

However, when Miramax (under the Disney umbrella) acquired the North American rights in 2004, they made drastic changes. The Shaolin Soccer English dub was produced for this Miramax cut, which trimmed the film down to 87 minutes. Entire subplots were removed, including the backstory of the villainous Team Evil's training montage and the tragic love story of the character Manny (the "lightweight" steel mill worker). But if you want to laugh until your

So, when you watch the English dub, you are not just hearing different voices—you are watching a different, shorter movie. This has led to decades of debate: Is the Shaolin Soccer English dub a betrayal of the original, or a streamlined masterpiece of camp?

If you search online forums, you will see two distinct camps:

The Purist View: "The Shaolin Soccer English Dub is a crime. It ruins the pacing, replaces Chow’s physical comedy with idiot jokes, and the voice actor for Sing sounds like a cartoon mouse. Always watch the original Cantonese with subtitles." Expect it to be loud

The Nostalgist View: "I saw the dub on a late-night Fox broadcast in 2005. I laughed so hard I choked. The silly voices add to the live-action anime feel. Without the dub, I wouldn't have discovered the film."

The truth lies in the middle. The dub is objectively inferior in terms of emotional depth. The romantic tension between Sing and Mui is flattened. However, for pure, gut-busting comedy, the English voice actors commit to the ridiculousness 100%. When the brothers do a kung fu pose and scream "SHAAAAOLIN SOCCER!" in English, it is undeniably fun.