The newly released film 'Kung Fu Soccer', directed by comedy king Stephen Chow, has received polarized reviews, with its rough special effects sparking a lot of criticism. In response, Beijing Yijiang Tianhe Film & TV Technology Co., Ltd, which was responsible for the film's special effects, addressed these concerns in a post on Xiaohongshu. They frankly stated that although many people find the effects awkward, many of Stephen Chow's iconic scenes from past works also seemed awkward at first glance—only upon repeated viewings does one realize the charm that makes them classics enduring for decades.
The special effects company admitted that when they first received the raw material, they too could not understand such bizarre shooting and acting methods. However, after watching the finished film, they found the results surprisingly good. They emphasized that the responsibility of the special effects team is to serve the film's style and the director's vision; the team is fully capable of producing top-notch visuals like those in 'The Wandering Earth' or 'Ne Zha', but can also faithfully deliver the unique style Stephen Chow desires.
In the face of online disparagement and criticism about the quality of the special effects, Beijing Yijiang Tianhe pointed out that, due to the impact of AI, there are fewer and fewer industry professionals nowadays, making such purely handcrafted special effect movies rarer and rarer. In closing, they quoted, 'battle reports may lie, but the frontline never does' in their rebuttal—believing that the audience's willingness to spend money on tickets is the best proof of the film's value. They also extended congratulations to Stephen Chow and the movie.
Source: Yiping