The Focus Pull Film Journal The Focus Pull Film Journal
The Focus Pull Film Journal The Focus Pull Film Journal
  • Full Issues 
  • Reviews 
  • Features 
  • OUR TEAM
  • Info.
    • OUR TEAM
  • Content
    • Full Issues 
      • Issue #01
      • Issue #02
      • Issue #03
      • Issue #04
      • Issue #05
      • Issue #06
      • Issue #07
      • Issue #08
      • Issue #09
      • Issue #10
      • Issue #11
      • Issue #12
      • Issue #13
      • Issue #14
      • Issue #15
      • Issue #16
      • Issue #17
      • Issue #18
      • Issue #19
      • Issue #20
      • Issue #21
      • Issue #22
      • Issue #23
      • Issue #24
      • Issue #25 - Horror Week
      • Issue #26
      • Issue #27
      • Issue #28
      • Issue #29
      • Issue #30
      • Issue #31
      • Issue #32
      • Issue #33
      • Issue #34
      • Issue #35
      • Issue #36
      • Issue #37
      • Issue #38
      • Issue #39
      • Issue #40
    • Reviews 
      • (All Reviews)
      • Action Adventure
      • Animation
      • Biography/History
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Foreign
      • Horror
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Thriller
    • Features 
      • (All Features)
      • Bonding with Bond
      • Double Exposures
      • Essays
      • Event Coverage
      • Lists
      • New to Netflix
      • News
      • Retrospectives
    • OUR TEAM
REGISTER
@
LOGIN
Reviews
2
1
previous article
A Fresh Look At: Natural Born Killers (1994)
next article
Review: The Trip to Italy

Review: The Unbeatables

by Jess Brooman on August 24, 2014
Overall Rating
4.5
THE BOTTOM LINE

"The Unbeatables" is a visual treat for the kids, and the football satire is a laugh for the adults, but the script is let down by a tepid romantic subplot, and a particularly anti-climatic finale that fails to rouse audiences as much as it hoped to.

4.5
Critic Rating
You have rated this

“The Unbeatables” opens with a humorous parody of the “2001: A Space Odyssey” monolith sequence, and so sets the tone of a lively and fairly amusing, double layered family film in which a group of table footballers come to life in order to help a small-town foosball champion. This movie features a script heavily laden with cutting remarks concerning a certain footballing body (“You can trust me – I used to work for FIFA”) and a narcissistic footballing superstar villain who in no way bears any similarities to any real-life celebrity footballer.

Having premiered at last year’s San Sebastian Festival (Spain), “The Unbeatables” (originally titled “Metegol” (Foosball) in Latin America and known as “Underdogs” in the U.S.) is a curious animated adventure creation, and not only because the man at the helm is Academy Award-winning director Juan José Campanella, creator of the vastly different “The Secret in Their Eyes.” In his youth, skilled foosball player Amadeo (Rupert Grint) wiped the floor with, and humiliated Flash (Anthony Head), the arrogant bully of the South American village setting. Years later, whilst Amadeo struggles to make something of himself, Flash has managed to become a professional football player. He returns to his hometown with the intention of bulldozing it flat and erecting an enormous stadium in its place.

As Amadeo quickly runs out of options to save his home and the love of his life, Lara (Eve Ponsonby), his only hope is to beat Flash once more, but with the help of his miniature foosball players who miraculously take on a life of their own.

As a box office winner in its home market of Argentina where it was released last year during the World Cup, Campanella’s “The Unbeatables” has unfortunately suffered considerably in translation from the original Spanish screenplay, with a lot of the humor lost through the distributor’s attempts to satisfy international audiences. The script itself is not the most original, and, while the element of magic associated with many films intended for younger audiences is present, even children may suffer to get much out of this foreign picture.

Two scenes that follow Amadeo as an adult, retelling the adventure to his son, encompass the majority of the narrative. This choice of direction removes much of the suspense from the start of the film, as it is clear that nothing terrible happens in the main story.

The digital animation, on the other hand, is excellent for what it is. Alas, it is not at all Pixar standard, however there are plenty of dynamic action sequences and well-chosen camera angles. The appearance is very cartoon-like, with some truly unique character designs, along with some very realistic texturing – such as the paint being scratched off of the bodies of the foosball players, revealing metal underneath. There is plenty of color and vibrancy, but nowhere near the standards of the recently released “The LEGO Movie.”

It goes without saying that the English dubbed voice cast is excellent, even when the lip sync isn’t quite up to scratch. But in the end it is all essentially aimed at younger audiences, with adults likely checking their watches for much of the film – frustrated or bored with the slow, unhurried pace with which the drama (or lack of it) seems to unfold.

The saving grace of the movie for older audiences is the subtle, satirical jabs at the world of football: “I don’t do anything without a sponsor.” It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons why this film was such a colossal hit in its home country (even hitting records for most expensive Argentinian film to date), but what is ultimately delivered can only be classed as a fun flick for the younger, perhaps more football-obsessed children. Sadly this film seems to have been scheduled for release in the U.S. far too late – with the World Cup over and no other real interest in the sport, there is the real possibility that this will be a box office flop.

Continue Reading Issue #17
Language

English (originally Spanish)

Release

January 15, 2015 (US)

Runtime

1 hr. 37 min.

Genre

Animation, Adventure, Family

Director

Juan José Campanella

Cast

Rupert Grint, Peter Serafinowicz, Anthony Head, Rob Brydon, Darren Boyd, Ralf Little, Andrew Knott, Stanley Townsend, Alex Norton

(All Reviews), Action Adventure, Issue #17, Reviews
Alex NortonAndrew KnottAnthony HeadDarren BoydPeter SerafinowiczRalf LittleRob BrydonRupert GrintStanley TownsendThe UnbeatablesUnderdogs
Alex Norton, Andrew Knott, Anthony Head, Darren Boyd, Peter Serafinowicz, Ralf Little, Rob Brydon, Rupert Grint, Stanley Townsend, The Unbeatables, Underdogs
About the Author
Jess Brooman
Jess Brooman
Jess is a 21 year old university student studying English Literature. Born and raised in England, she's an aspiring writer and film lover, with a strong affinity for cats.
You might also like
Rob Brydon
 

Review: The Trip to Italy

by Taylor Sinople on August 25, 2014
Bitingly funny and more dramatically rewarding than the original, "The Trip to Italy" is a completely necessary sequel that offers more outstanding conversations, arguments, impressions between leads Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.
comments
Leave a reply
  • Sherry
    March 16, 2016 at 8:39 pm

    Popcorn – check. Soda – check…I have a date with Netflix on Friday night.

Add Comment Register



Leave a Response
Cancel reply

The Focus Pull in your inbox!

Subscribe to this list, and we'll send you each week's new issue directly to your inbox. One email a week, packed with essential film writing!

Latest Reviews

View All
 
Taylor Sinople Picks: The 16 Best Films of 2016
 
Form and Function in Alex Ross Perry’s “Queen of Earth&...
 
Digging for Fire and Unexpected: Husband and Wife Process Parenthoo...
 
Every Thing Will Be Fine 3D Review

Latest Features

View All
 
Taylor Sinople Picks – The 17 Best Films of 2017
 
Taylor Sinople Picks: The 16 Best Films of 2016
 
Taylor Sinople’s Top 10 Films of 2015: “The Duke of Bur...
 
8 Films to See at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival

Our Partners

Advertisement

FESTIVAL COVERAGE

View All
 
8 Films to See at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival
 
Every Thing Will Be Fine 3D Review
 
Berlinale 2015: Eisenstein in Guanajuato
 
Berlinale 2015: Sworn Virgin
 
Berlinale 2015: Under Electric Clouds

LISTS

View All
 
Taylor Sinople Picks – The 17 Best Films of 2017
 
SNL40: A Look Back at 40 Years of SNL in Film
 
Six Must-See British Films Opening in 2015
 
Oscars 2015: Ranking the Best Picture Nominees
 
Our 26 Most Anticipated Films of 2015
Tweets by @thefocuspull
  • "Popcorn - check. Soda - check...I have a date with Netflix on Friday night." - Sherry
  • "[…] nails it.” I disagree, and frankly wonder what movies John is talking about. The original G..." - Dear Godzilla Fans: Please Stop Defending that ...
  • "[…] www.thefocuspull.com […]" - Annie Hall
  • "[…] more vibrant monologue or confrontation, like the dinner scene that comes at just the right time ..." - Taylor Sinople's Top 10 Films of 2015
  • "[…] of the year is also the stuff of a best picture winner. With Michael Keaton, hot off praise from ..." - Taylor Sinople's Top 10 Films of 2015
TRENDING ON TFP
   
Try a different filter
© 2014 THE FOCUS PULL FILM JOURNAL
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.