KickOff (2011)

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Where to start? I did not give a rat's ass about any of the characters; they we so poorly-developed that I knew so little about them I could not.I admit that I don't know a whole lot about soccer, but for a group of guys that supposedly had (potentially) a star candidate (Danny) on the pitch, it was pretty poor-quality play.The idea that the other team would not know that the gay team was, indeed, gay is laughable at best, and a complete insult to the viewer's intelligence at worst.Near the end, when there was a shoot-out, the drug addict (Jensen) is finally chosen to kick the ball; he misses (that was the only surprise in this movie ... aside from it being a total piece of crap ... I expected him to be somewhat heroic in that kick). Anyway, the girl on the sidelines (Alexandria, a supporter of the "straight" team) rips up the papers in her hand in (seeming) disgust ... the only thing is, from the expression on her face, one would think that she is actually smiling or laughing about it. It's called acting, Ms. Frost ... try it some time.The real kicker (no pun intended) came when the ref called time after the shoot-out ended with things still tied. I could understand the opposing teams being ticked off about that, but why in the name of all that is good and holy would either of the teams that have been waiting to takeover the field also be protesting to the ref? That made absolutely no sense whatsoever! (But what can one expect from such an utter waste of celluloid.)I've heard it said that it is hard to get a script produced ... I'd have to say that it is not hard enough!

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, mainly because of the cartoon nature of most of the characters. The story, although it centres around a 5-a-side football game, is mainly around the characters playing - all of them caricatures, outrageously camp / butch / etc. That's why I found the film so funny.If, however, you are expecting it to be a film about football then you'll be disappointed. Indeed the game starts and stops so many times that anyone trying to follow the match itself will be frustrated. Think of this football match as some sort of common thread which joins up each of the characters.Ricky Beadle-Blair himself is a riot and I agree with another reviewer that he should have been a central character in the film. He must do a film in which he stars and is in nearly every scene. He's as good on-screen as he is producing / writing. etc. Let's have an "All about RBB" movie!!I bought the DVD and, having watched it once, I will definitely be watching it again from time to time (unlike most of my other bought DVDs).

My review is of the Region 2 DVD released in the UK (see diatribe at end...).What Kickoff is is a truly funny, campy story of two soccer teams, a newly formed gay team up against an infamous team of one roidhead, drug addict, on-the-lam runner from the law, David Beckham wannabe "sissy," and a regular bloke with an inconvenient paternity problem. That's just the straight team. The gay team is full of great characters and other characters enter as the story proceeds. I'm too lazy to catalog them all but each character complements the story. None are just bodies filling space (like Keanu Reeves in almost anything...). What's most impressive about Kickoff is it deftly inserts "heavy" issues such as deadbeat dads, drug addiction, homophobia, throw-away kids, and ageism, among others, without bashing viewers on the head and maintaining the humor and humanity. I could quote so many lines IMDb's 1000 word max would be exceeded quickly so I won't. Sourpusses may point out the movie ends happily for virtually everyone, unlike life, but I ask what's wrong with happy, upbeat endings? Besides, it could happen! Another abfab aspect is the hilarious use of "masculinity" and "effeminacy" by "the gays" and the str8 lads and even poor "Ephraim"/Elton!, the beleaguered ref. Archie, the gay team's captain, asks, while "not trying to push anybody back into the cupboard..." that "no one says 'fabulous' for the next hour," among other attempts to "pass," as it were. Then there are the pink ("fuschia!") outfits Archie's sweet little "partner" selects because fuschia is the color of "rage and passion." The straight team later decides to intimidate their rivals by making it clear (with "no words, no head-butting, and no pulling out a knife...") they know. Even crazy roid-raging Fitz(gerald Pomeroy) flits about and camps it up to perfection. Kudos to the entire cast for creating an ensemble of believable humans who turn a few stereotypes on their heads and in a few other directions. Here the obligatory confession the young men on and off the teams are all "lookers" and several shirtless for short periods and the team members sans shirts much of the movie. Visually attractive but the beefcake is only one small part of many others. Kickoff is another movie produced outside the insular USA which most in the USA will probably not see. I'd LOVE to be mistaken. I'm lucky enough to have seen it and now own the DVD from the UK (which most DVD players in the USA won't play since they play only Region 1 NTSC formats). The DVD also has Special features worth watching (unlike too many DVDs produced here). A making of segment, the "Crossbar Challenge" where everyone kicks the ball at the goal cage (or the crossbar?) and "Getting Physical," about the actors physical preparation, plus a music video and the trailer. Each segment adds "value," as we capitalists say. Kickoff should be released in North America, in theaters and on DVD. At least NetFlix or Amazon should pick it up, dammit!Final note: Based on trailers and clips ordered Fit from amazon.uk today. Rikki Beadle Blair wrote and directed both and several of the same actors are in both movies. Do we have a modern equivalent to a real theatrical troupe? It would help explain how easily the characters make their world so real and credible.

This film was a disaster. I was expecting a campy gay version of Bend It Like Beckham. That would have had a lot of potential. But the actors in this film had no soccer skill at all. The soccer game itself was interrupted so many times, it was impossible to follow. Probably because of budget, they couldn't even field a full team, just five to a side! The plot made little sense, and the dialog was flat.The only bright point was the excellent performance by the camp gay step dad played by writer Rikki Beadle-Blair. The movie might have been better if they focused on that relationship before the game day, and then cut most of the game itself.