How Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle changed the game for martial arts films

In creating Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow brought CGI to kung fu in a way that expanded the genre’s potential rather than overwhelming it

In doing so, Chow made a new kind of film – one that marries the seriousness of martial arts with comedy and computer-generated special effects

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Stephen Chow in a still from Shaolin Soccer (2001). This film and Kung Fu Hustle, by director and actor Stephen Chow, were seen as game-changers for the martial arts movie genre. Photo: Star Overseas Ltd

Published: 6:15pm, 26 Feb 2023

Stephen Chow Sing-chi’s Shaolin Soccer (2001) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004) are rightly regarded as hilarious comedies, but they also stand as innovative entries in the martial arts genre.

Chow, a martial arts fan who has adored Bruce Lee since his parents took him to see Fist of Fury as a child, brought computer-generated imagery (CGI) to kung fu in a way that expanded the genre’s potential rather than overwhelm it. In doing so, he made a new kind of martial arts film.

Although comic in nature, both films adhere to the guiding principles of martial arts.

Shaolin Soccer, for instance, illustrates the Shaolin concept that martial arts are primarily for physical and mental development rather than combat.

Kung Fu Hustle even features performers from the genre’s golden years of the 1970s to make its heritage clear.

In Shaolin Soccer, Chow plays a Shaolin kung fu expert who leads a team of martial artists to victory in a football tournament. The combination of kung fu, football and special effects is invigorating to watch.

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