This write-up will elaborate more on the
previous write-up regarding one of the scenes in the movie.
Warning: Spoilers ahoy! If you have not seen this movie you may not want to read this.
The scene in question is the when Mui becomes the goalie for the Shaolin Team and helps win the match. The magic power referered to in the previous write-up is actually tai chi. Just like all the other kung-fu in the movie, it's tai chi at supernatural/magical levels. But there are some basic tai-chi concepts and philosophy, that are applied at this final scene.
Mui was introduced earlier in the movie as a worker at a bakery. She uses her tai chi talents in her cooking. Her skills at handling the pot that was sent to her from a belcony, and how she manipulated the ball of dough, forshadows this final scene.
In the final soccer match scene, one of the Evil Team players sends the ball flying at poor Mui, tearing up the field in the process. The previous goalies had tried to stop the ball dead in its tracks and absorb all the energy. Mui instead just redirects the ball's path. She starts the ball spinning and gently nudges it in a circular path, barely touching the goal line. She soon has the ball spinning at an incredible rate on the tip of her finger. She has converted the entire energy of the ball into the spin. The original energy that the kicker put into it is still there. Mui adds even more energy into the spin and then sends it flying to Sing. Sing in turn adds his own kick and totally devastates the Evil Team.
The basic concept of using your oponents force against them is played out here. Instead of stopping an apponent's punch with force, you're simply redirecting it off to the side. The 2 previous goalies stopped the ball head on and obsorbed all the energy.
On another note, Shaolin Soccer should be hitting the US theaters in 2002. If it does, it might be under the title Kung-Fu Soccer. According to hints on IMDB.
But you know what? forget all this flowery philosophy stuff. I just want to be able to park my car like that. You know what I'm talking about.