Underdogs

I think that Metegol is great. It is the first time (along with The Secret in their Eyes) that I go to see an Argentinian movie because it is actually really good, and not because it's only Argentinian. Campanella surely knows how to capture or, in this case, produce moments of excitement and humor very efficiently. It is true also that the plot is really naive, but that's not the point. The point is that for the first time Argentina puts its name right there with mega blockbusters like Despicable Me 2 (EXCELLENT Movie, by the way) or any Disney productions. Like I say on the title, I believe that this is the first step to prove that it is possible to do things really well and really competitive. Campanella needs to keep pushing this forward, and he needs to be replenished of creativity by the newer generations of filmmakers. There are only 2 things that I will criticize about this film, and please let these be taken constructively: -Like I said before, the plot is really naive. Not because it's a movie aimed to a kid audience, has to have a kids plot. -The voice acting should be improved. In Metegol, they aimed to have "recognizable faces" for the roles, but they had no experience in voice acting. Pablo Rago, el Negro Fontova and Coco Sily are OK, but I think that Diego Ramos should have put more emotion into his performance. Basically as an audience you kept disassociating the character from its voice, and that CAN't happen.

Well, that's it, if you still didn't watch it, go watch it. It is a great first step in what I believe will be the first of many great Argentinian productions. To all the production and artistic team of this film, chapeau.

18th July. That was the premier date of Metegol in Argentina. I was expecting this date since days, months, even since the last year. I was determined to go to watch it immediately in the premier date, I was highly anticipating it, as I'm a fan of all the works by Campanella. I watched El Secreto De Sus Ojos, Luna De Avellaneda, El Hijo De La Novia, and the TV series Vientos De Agua. This I'm writing after returning watching Metegol in the cinema.

This is truly a masterpiece that will be remembered as a classic for years and years to come!!!! It is usual from this director, as all his films have become some of the finest and most successful both in the box-office and by critics alike. Campanella has done it again. He has proved that he is made of what Oscar winners are made of. He has proved how an animated film could also be done. He is pioneering and leaving a mark in the history of films. And he is making proud his own country, Argentina.

Metegol (or Foosball, as it will be called in English-speaking countries) makes you immerse in the rich and legendary folklore of football from Argentina. Stories, tales, legends, anecdotes, songs, matches, everything is freshly caught in the screen, in the atmosphere, in the characters. The little town, the bar, the corner where the foosball laid. Everything is familiar, and everything makes you remember the times when you played and breathed those places...

Without doubt the best of the film are the characters. And specially the characters dialogs. Everything they say is a reference to famous folklore cites and famous players sayings. The film is packed with subtle references to several history episodes, like when Grosso shouts his goal to the camera, he is shouting it like Maradona did one of his in the 1994 USA World Cup. When the town major leaves the town, he leaves in a helicopter, like in 2001 did the Argentine president De La Rua (and then the 2001 Argentine crisis was unleashed). And I could continue with more and more references and trivia, but I think it will be tastier if you find them for yourself ;) The other thing of Metegol which is the best, is its animation. OH GOD, THE ANIMATION. You would think that Tangled has set the bar in animation films, with the 260 millions it has cost to be made. Metegol was made with a much lower budget, just 20 millions of dollars. But you don't realize the difference of budgets. In fact you don't realize this is not a film made by Pixar nor Dreamworks. Metegol makes the eye-candy enthusiast rejoice in the vividness of the sequences, and makes the spectators hold tight in their seats as the action-paced scenes go on. In animation academies and schools, one of the classic tests you would have is to make an animation of a ball jumping. In Metegol you see the ball jumping, bouncing around the corners, passing between legs, hitting the body parts, kicked, flying, zig-zagging, being head-butted, being stopped by a player's foot, being handled in several football tricks, and so on. This film truly will be shown in animation academies for years and years to come, pointing out what animation can do. All things considerate, 20 millions of dollars make this film the single one most expensive in the entire Argentine film history, so in a certain way in this film Campanella truly is betting high.

In a trip to Euro-Disney I ate in a restaurant in the park, which was decorated with baseball photos and American imagery. On a wall, there was a picture that said "to understand the American way of thinking, you have to understand the sport of baseball". So watching Metegol could be a nice introduction to Argentine culture, folklore and philosophy. And I will rephrase that one saying I read in a picture on a wall, "to understand the Argentine way of thinking, you have to understand the sport of football". ;)

I loved this movie... excellent animation... funny story... A great movie for soccer fans. You should not loose the opportunity to watch it. It has excellent quality animation (like Disney / Pixar), but with Latino humor. A lover of Futbolín has a big challenge, and has to do it for real to defend his hometown. A movie that has become the best selling tickets movie in Argentina. Directed by a Oscar winner "Juan Jose Campanella". PRODUCTION NOTES Metegol (Foosball). Argentina/ Spain, 2013. Written by: Juan José Campanella, Eduardo Scacheri and Gastón Gorali, based on Roberto Fontanarrosa's short story Memorias de un wing derecho. Directed by: Juan José Campanella. Voiceovers: Horacio Fontova, Pablo Rago, Fabian Gianola, Diego Ramos. Opening on 258 screens in Argentina on 35mm prints, 3D digital and 2D digital. Distributed by: UIP. NR. Running time: 100 minutes.

Having read the IMDb I am no longer sure of the movie's title but I'm calling it The Unbeatables because that was definitely the name on the print I saw. And I am pleased I saw it. The animation is just fabulous. Those great colors and funny details. The characters are lots of fun, the plot keeps moving, and the jokes are great and just keep coming. I especially liked the witty lines about football. No I'm not a great football fan but I loved this movie. It cleverly celebrates football and at the same time has a much needed pop at it. Campanella is a great film maker. If you have seen The Secret in their Eyes then you would not expect this. He has such range. The Unbeatables is a very good comedy.

Oscar winner, Campanella has do it again.

Metegol (or Underdogs in the English version )is a technical achievement rarely seen outside USA. The first 3D animated movie produced in Argentina, has a technical quality (animation and images ) that easily compare and many time surpasses far more expensive PIXAR projects. Some scenes, like the soccer match, the chase in the dump and in the amusement park that are simply outstanding and pure fun.

In terms of story and characters; the movie is simple but effective.

Instead of the boring poetry and sadness PIXAR infuses in all its animations Campanella went for simple message ( never surrender, fight for what is yours ) with more complex morals for grown-ups ( life is more than games, without the other team there is no match) so kids and adults enjoy the movie.

Sadly that did not happened when I took my 5 year old daughter and her cousin to Monsters U, Cars 2 or even The LEGO movie; after the first half all they wanted was to leave or see something else; not a good sign for a kid's movie.

In brief; this a fresh movie on a subject like soccer that basically interest about 80% of the people on the world. I am not on that percentage but even the game scenes are so amazing you get hook up.