After 10 days of release, "Kungfu Soccer" - a new work written and directed by Stephen Chow - is becoming a summer box office phenomenon in China.
According to real-time data from Maoyan as of the morning of July 20, the film has grossed more than 1.4 billion CNY, continuously leading in revenue and breaking many box office records, becoming the noteworthy "dark horse" of this year's film season.
However, in contrast to the impressive commercial achievements, the quality of the "Kungfu Women's Football Team" has created heated debates.
While many viewers think this is a light entertainment film, enough to bring laughter, many opinions believe that the work has not met the expectations for the name Stephen Chow.
According to many assessments, audiences come to theaters with the psychology of wanting to revive the atmosphere of "Shaolin Soccer" or classic comedy films that made the name "comedy king". However, what they receive is a work that is said to repeat the old formula but lacks the inherent charm.
Many people commented that the unreasonable comedy style - Stephen Chow's brand - this time becomes forced. Instead of creating laughter from everyday stories and the fates of ordinary characters as before, the film is considered to abuse hyperbole, the humorous situations are arranged too clearly, making many scenes become unnatural.
Some viewers even said that the laughter in the cinema did not come from the film's content but from the appearance of product advertising details that were incorporated quite blatantly. The installation of advertising is considered to disrupt the emotional flow and affect the movie viewing experience.
The acting of the cast has also become a controversial topic. A part of the audience believes that the characters lack personality, the acting is not strong enough to create highlights and most are just trying to imitate Stephen Chow's familiar comedy style.
This is what makes the film considered to lack its own identity and difficult to create emotional weight like his previous classic works.
Besides, many opinions commented that "The Kungfu Women's Football Team" has the color of a refreshed version from "The Shaolin Football Team". From character building, storytelling motifs to many humorous details, all evoke the movie that once caused a stir more than two decades ago.
For audiences who love Stephen Chow's creative style, repeating the old formula but lacking breakthrough makes the work unable to meet expectations.
However, there are also many opinions that if you put aside expectations about a new "masterpiece" by Stephen Chow, "The Kungfu Girl" is still a suitable entertainment choice for audiences who want to find a fun, energetic and accessible movie.
The contrast between box office revenue and audience feedback shows that "The Kungfu Girl" is one of the most controversial works this summer.
The film continues to prove that Stephen Chow's brand appeal is still very large, but at the same time raises the question of whether the "comedia king" still has enough ability to create new imprints, or is living in the shadow of the works he once created.
