If you have kids who love football, The Unbeatables is the perfect film for them! The Unbeatables tells the story of young Amadeo, a boy with a talent for table football who humiliates the local bully Flash, by beating him at the game. Fast forward 10 years, and Flash is a soccer superstar (who bears a bit of a resemblance to Ronaldo!) who is hellbent on revenge and set to destroy their hometown and turn the area into a football stadium. Amadeo may have been accomplished at table football, but he is not quite as accomplished in life and love and Flash's return challenges him to man up in an attempt to save the town, win the girl and discover his inner strength.
When Flash destroys Amadeo's beloved table football, it is Amadeo's tears that magically bring the footballers to life and they are ready to play for his honour. It is the little lead footballers who steal the show with their witty dialogue and distinct personalities (similarities to real life football legends can't be ignored), as they help lead Amadeo and his team of misfit town folk as they take on the might of Flash in the ultimate football showdown.
The film was originally a massive hit in its home country Argentina. Being a foreign film, the English dubbing sometimes doesn't quite fit and the dialogue can seem a little odd at times as the script tries to fit the lip synch, which annoyed Ian but didn't bother me or Freddy at all. The voice talents of Rupert Grint, Anthony Head, Ralf Little and Rob Brydon more than made up for this issue. The Latin American setting with the English references sometimes jarred a little, but again it didn't bother me. It's easy to suspend your belief and just enjoy the fun and adventure.
The Unbeatables climax is the big football match between Flash's team and Amadeo's team. It is beautifully and inventively animated and the commentary is spot on. I loved the imagery of the townsfolk as they played for their town, which gave rise to some great visual humour! It is a very long scene with real time action that footie fans will love. The result is not the predictable ending I expected and it raises some very valuable life lessons about what it means to really win.
The football centric storyline makes this DVD a great watch for young footie fans. The adventures that Rico, Loco, Skip and the other table footballers get into adds some real magic and excitement into the mix. The story is quite unique and overall it is an enjoyable, sporty, animated film with a difference. However, if your kids aren't into football, this film probably won't interest them, Kizzy refused to watch it - but you can't please everyone!!
