Summary of Key Points
After a 7-year hiatus, Stephen Chow's new film "Kung Fu Women's Football" has seen its box office soar (reaching over 400 million yuan in just two days with a target of 2 billion yuan), yet it has received poor reviews (6.6 on Douban), leading to polarized opinions from audiences. The emotional connection that drew people to theaters in the past—such as the feeling of "owing Chow a movie ticket"—is gradually fading. Audiences find the new film lacking sincerity, with clichéd humor, over-the-top special effects, and lame jokes that fall far short of classics like "Shaolin Football." Since Chow transitioned from actor to director, the quality of his works has declined, and the resonance with the audience about the struggles of ordinary people no longer resonates. The question arises: How much longer can this emotional bond hold?
1. Box Office Success, but Audiences Feel They've "Paid Off Their Debts"
The film's opening-day box office was 260 million yuan, and it surpassed 400 million yuan in two days, which seems impressive on the surface. However, this success is largely due to an emotional inertia from past films. In the early years, when domestic theaters were not well-developed, many people watched Chow's classics (such as "A Chinese Odyssey" and "Kung Fu") on DVDs and never had the opportunity to pay at the theater, creating a sense of "owing" him a movie ticket. However, in recent years, Chow's newer films (like the "Journey to the West" series and "The New King of Comedy") have received increasingly negative reviews, leading audiences to realize that they have already "paid off their debts" through repeated viewings and discussions. For example, some viewers after watching "Kung Fu Women's Football" said, "Chow actually owes me a ticket," indicating that the emotional investment in his films has reached its limit.
2. Over-the-top Special Effects Distract from the Story + Cluttered with Old Jokes
The problems with "Kung Fu Women's Football" are evident:
1. Excessive reliance on old references: The film is full of Easter eggs from previous works, such as the "Actor's Self-Cultivation" scene from "The King of Comedy," the high-altitude kicking joke from "Shaolin Football," and even Bruce Lee's famous quote "Be water." But beyond these, there is nothing new.
2. Special effects overpower the story: The 380 million yuan invested in special effects (including a dazzlingly green stadium and suddenly appearing tigers and leopards) are impressive but irrelevant to the plot, making the audience feel uncomfortable.
3. Lame and outdated jokes: For instance, when players fall to the ground and make ridiculous gestures, or when the attractive characters receive no consequences while the unattractive ones do (gender stereotypes), or when a cheating ex-boyfriend motivates the team (a tired trope). These elements might have worked 20 years ago but seem low-quality today.
4. Exaggerated characters and plots: The actors rely on loud screams to express emotions, and the plot is predictable (a team with no hope suddenly wins the championship), lacking the spontaneous humor of a truly funny film.
3. Why "Shaolin Football" Is Unrepeatable?
"Shaolin Football" became a classic not because of its combination of kung fu and football, but for reasons such as:
1. The real struggles of ordinary people: The protagonist, Ah Xing, wears ragged shoes and collects trash; his fellow monks have jobs unrelated to martial arts (washing dishes, singing), and they are oppressed by life before finally standing up on the field—a story that resonated with the confused Hong Kongers after the return to China.
2. Profound satire: The film criticizes match fixing and doping, as well as society's neglect of traditional martial arts, which had real-world relevance.
3. Great acting chemistry: The collaboration between Chow and Wu Mengda was seamless, making each character come alive. In contrast, the actors in "Kung Fu Women's Football" (Zhang Xiaofei, Dilraba) are famous but their characters lack depth.
4. Chow's Film Dreams Still Exist, but Audiences' Tastes Have Changed
Since 2008's "Changjiang No. 7," Chow has stopped acting and focused on directing, with his works becoming more formulaic. He says the passion in his heart will never fade, and the ending Easter egg featuring him wearing a "Shaolin Football" jersey suggests a possible return to form. However, audiences' preferences have changed:
- They no longer crave unrealistic humor and stories of ordinary people's triumphs; they value originality and emotional authenticity in storytelling.
- Even stunning special effects are useless without a solid core.
- Emotional investment is acceptable occasionally, but one cannot rely solely on past successes.
Perhaps Chow still wants to prove himself, but audiences are no longer buying into it. After all, what people love is the Stephen Chow who portrayed ordinary characters, not just a director who relies on old references.
In Conclusion
The controversy surrounding "Kung Fu Women's Football" is a test of the "emotional economy"—when creators stop putting effort into their work and rely solely on nostalgia to make money, audiences will eventually vote with their wallets. Chow's classics will always be classics, but if his new films do not improve, the story of "owing him a ticket" should come to an end.