Footy Legends

I had never heard of this one, despite being a big Anh Do fan. Decided to give it a go when it popped up on Netflix, and was pleasantly surprised! The story line is very much your typical underdog story. Reminiscent of movies like Cool Runnings or Mighty Ducks. Group of people from the rough side of town, struggling, who band together.

But mixed in with it is some very Australian humour! Found ourselves laughing throughout.

Also has an excellent soundtrack, with many good Aussie classics featuring.

You don't need to be a rugby fan to enjoy this one! Would highly recommend giving it a watch!

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.

Anh Do's constant spruiking in the media about what a come-from-nothing, refugee, westy battler he is, which by the way is true, only serves as a cop out. Positioning himself to get away with making such a crap movie. While the background of struggling underdog is certainly there, make no mistake, the accolades and experience are certainly there too. Khoa was widely praised for his previous film, "The Finished People" for which he won the independent spirit award and was also named as "Young Australian Of The Year" and Anh was also "Stand Up Comedian Of The Year" a few years back and is an accomplished stand up comic. My question being that with all this industry cred and decent financial backing and casting... couldn't they have put together a kick butt film. Answer: Apparently not.

I went to the premier of the movie last night in Canberra. It was hosted by the Australia Day council and there was a host of different people with different backgrounds. Khoa Do (The 2005 Young Australian of the year) was also present at the launch which made the experience more special.

I'm not a fan of Australian movies to be honest, but I have to admit I actually enjoyed this movie a lot. Nothing special about the plot, we have all seen it seen movies about the UNDERDOGS. What makes this movie enjoyable is the fact that there are a host of actors that will deliver that "Feel Good" and "comical" experience through out the whole movie. The older actors are an absolute classic! The young Vietnamese girl plays an awesome role. We all know Anh Do is funny, but you do get to see his serious side which is enjoyable as well. Even the referees and the sausages (you will have to watch the movie to understand) will make you feel good!

I saw the movie with 6 females, and we all laughed and enjoyed the movie immensely! Some of them don't follow Rugby League so you don't need to be a fan to understand it. Honestly, this movie caters for all ages, so don't be turned off by the (PG) rating, there is plenty of funny and enjoyable moments throughout the movie.

It's not a Hollywood movie, but if this movie had the budget it would be up there! Well done for a great feel good movie that Australia has been missing for a long time!

Michael

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.