Footy Legends (2006)

Such a frustrating disappointment

So much average

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Opening on depressing images of Sydney's South West, Footy Legends leads the audience on a journey of self discovery, showing mateship and the true bond of a family, with the tale of an underdog sports team set up against all odds to become Footy Legends. Australian slang and euphemisms make footy legends identifiable as a true blue Australian hit, along the lines of Crocodile Dundee and The Castle. Aussie artists lend their music to the film which adds an extra dimension to the complexities of the story, leading it more into a Drama rather than a Comedy for which it may have been seen as. The Musicians include; Rose Tattoo, Shannon Noll, Hoodoo Gurus, Daryl Braithwaite & Hunters and Collectors. Multiculturalism is evident in the Yagoona team with Players coming from Vietnam, Lebanon, and the Pacific Islands along with White and Indigenous Australians; this allows Australians of all nationalities to enjoy this film. The only drawback is that footy stands for different codes in Australia, Footy is AFL in Victoria, SA and WA but in NSW footy means NRL, the title leaves a little confusion, but this allows the audience to substitute their own sport or hobby for footy.

A typical Hollywoodesque formula comedy/drama sports feel-good schmaltz - but this time from the usually more offbeat Aussies. Complete with an awful, overly sentimental soundtrack next to which even Coldplay seem lively and heavy. The female part of the cast is interesting/good, but the male part, which dominates due to the subject matter, is quite apathetic - which is weird considering that they all play Aussie-rules rugby; one would think they'd have more life in them than to constantly mope around, looking depressed. The movie uses all the clichés and plot-devices that there are in order to hopefully press all the "right" sob-buttons, which makes me wonder for whom this movie was made. Women? Well, I certainly don't see guys getting excited about this story, except if they're similarly goofy misfits like most of the rugby-playing protagonists here. We've got a girl with asthma, a semi-retarded gentle giant, an old man in a nursing home, a player's girlfriend in jail, unemployed bums and a drug-addict seeking a new chance in life, and then the obligatory big-match finale. You get the picture. Instead of watching this film, google "vjetropev 15 rule changes".

I just want to say that i really enjoyed Footy Legends and it was real step up from The Finished People which looked and had the feel of a doco. When i first heard of it i didn't want to see it as i am not a fan of football but i changed my mind when i saw a preview which looked funny so i changed my mind. the casting is terrific from the fantastic, talented Claudia Karvan to comedians Anh Do, Angus Sampson, Paul Nakad to rising star Emma Lung to newcomer Lisa Saggers. The story and script was done really well, not the totally heartbreaking sad story i was expecting but heart warmer with Australian humor to match The Castle. Well done.

Footy Legends is a curious film in that it is the first movie about rugby league to make a genuine impact. It is funny, it is moving and it features plenty of rugby league action, plus a wealth of league legends, including Matty Johns, Mario Fenech, Brett Kenny, Cliff Lyons, Gary Larson, Rod Wishart, Brad Clyde and others.The star of the movie is Anh Do, who is also involved in the writing and production. His performance is exceptional, demonstrating an impressive array of emotions through facial expressions and body language. Here is a young man who can make a big impact on the Australian movie scene, particularly if he can continue to contribute to quality scripts.The other impressive qualities of the movie are tight editing and a wonderful music score. Many Aussie movies lose impact by overplaying scenes and thus losing momentum. Footy Legends avoids this trap by keeping each scene to a length that says what needs to be said, then moves on. This is good editing and a feature of Khoa Do's directorial debut in a fictional feature film.The music score ideally supports the settings and suits the pace and intentions of the movie.Quality Australian actors Claudia Karvan and Peter Phelps add depth to the movie, but it is Anh Do's performance which stands out. Hopefully this will be the start of a long career for this talented performer.Whether the movie has enough diversity to appeal to overseas markets remains to be seen, but it has the right blend of comedy, pathos and "feel-good" to suggest that it will capture the attention and interest of Australian audiences. I hope so, because it deserves a wide audience.