[quote name='dp84']Whoa wait! There's an uncut version of this movie? The Hong Kong release is about 99 minutes in running time. And I don't know of any other uncut Hong Kong editions out there. Jeez I hate what the American movie industy has been doing. They always release some cut edition of a movie onto dvd, then a few months later release the "unrated/uncut" version. Damn it! Just release that in the first place!![/QUOTE]
Yeah, the U.S. version is cut. There is no excuse for the cuts, either, since the movie was rated R, and keeping the cut material wouldn't have pushed the movie to an NC-17. Columbia Pictures has been awesome with their foreign & martial arts releases, and I'm disappointed that they dropped the ball on this release. However, at least the movie didn't get into the hands of Harvey Scissorhands... er, Weinstein and Miramax, like several other movies.
If you want to know what is cut, visit the following link. WARNING: SPOILERS
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373074/alternateversions
[quote name='Kunikos']you may be shocked to know that movies aren't always better when they run longer... if the pacing drags on way too long or there are cultural misunderstandings or under (or non) appreciation for a type of cinema then it can just make the movie worse for a particular audience... shaolin soccer is another example of this...[/QUOTE]
I agree that movies aren't always better when they run longer. I know of several movies that could benefit from some better editing. As for cultural misunderstandings/differences, I think that if you want to enjoy and truly appreciate a foreign film, you should at least have some knowledge of that country/culture. Also, as you watch more movies from those countries/cultures, you will be able to understand things more and pick up on more jokes, gags, and language. I have seen so many Hong Kong movies that I recognize several Cantonese phrases and cultural references now.
Shaolin Soccer is an absolute mess in the U.S. version. If you compare it to the theatrical version, it's missing around 15 minutes. If you compare it to the director's cut, it's missing nearly 30 minutes! The scenes that were cut were scenes that helped flesh out the characters and plot. It seems like Miramax just wanted a movie with only the outlandish soccer scenes and such. Just look at the terrible advertising campaign: "Kick some grass! It's Crouching Tiger meets The Matrix, with some Bend it Like Beckham thrown in..." Yuck! And don't even get me started on the shitty dubbing and music changes.
The only film that might benefit from trimming is the U.S. release of Ong Bak. The acting and story aren't that great, and basically the only reason anyone likes this movie is for the action choreography, stunts, and fights. At least the U.S. version will have a Thai audio track and English subtitles, with a crappy dub available for those who want it.