Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Women's Soccer' Criticized for Special Effects, Famous Host Bluntly Says: It's Hard to Watch

Riding the World Cup fever, 'Kung Fu Women's Soccer,' director Stephen Chow's first film in 7 years, was released today (11th) in China ahead of other regions. Chow's star power is indeed extraordinary: as of 3:40 PM today, the box office has already exceeded 160 million RMB (about 96 million MYR). However, audience reviews are polarized, with a significant number of negative comments. While some went to relive the nostalgia of classic Stephen Chow comedies, others criticized the outdated special effects and lack of comedic punch, saying Chow's signature style works best when he personally performs. Famous Chinese host Lin Hai openly commented on his alternate social media account, “Stephen Chow, I owe you nothing anymore. It’s so hard to watch.”

'Kung Fu Women's Soccer' is directed by Stephen Chow and stars Chinese award-winning actress Zhang Xiaofei, popular stars Dilraba Dilmurat and Zhang Yixing, with special appearances from Carina Lau and Takeru Satoh. The first full trailer was only released yesterday, with many elements reminiscent of Chow's 25-year-old classic 'Shaolin Soccer.' The film features kung fu-infused soccer matches, full of anime style and a hot-blooded, explosive atmosphere. However, this time Chow does not appear as the lead, which fueled casting controversies prior to release. Thanks to Chow's reputation as a comedy king, presale ticket sales alone reached 88.88 million RMB (about 53.33 million MYR) even before the premiere.

Under slogans like “the authentic Stephen Chow comedy flavor,” “the familiar happiness is back,” and “this is not just a movie, this is my unrecoverable youth,” 'Kung Fu Women's Soccer' attracted loyal Chow comedy fans to support it. In recent years, Chow has kept a very low profile, rarely even posting front-facing photos on his own IG. But for this new film, he's going all out, taking part in a series of post-screening events in China to boost the momentum for 'Kung Fu Women's Soccer,' aiming to seize the box office crown during China's summer vacation season.