Otaku no Culture

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Underappreciated in North America but loved elsewhere, Underdogs is a fun computer animated adventure about, what else, the little guy getting the love that he and his friends richly deserves. This tale has a lot of similarity to DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story and if I have to choose which is better, my vote is for the former. In theory, various video releases have been available for a while now, but when looking at release schedules, it’s been pushed back or is not fully out in North America. It’s available through Anchor Bay in the States, and in Canada, according to Tribute.ca, it’s set to hit shelves September 6, 2016 and the long wait is finally over. This movie originally released in 2013 in Argentina. It’s Spanish title is Metegol.

Many releases have come out since then, including a UK one, and to finally get a local release is welcomed. While many a name is changed, no further edits is implied. Amadeo is now Jake, and his love for foozball sets up a bigger game, football (soccer). His rival, Grosso (Ace) returns to their little hometown to take over. When they were kids, these two did not quite see eye-to-eye; one went on to greater things (to become a champion) and the other remained and his life went nowhere (Amadeo). Their dispute happened over a simple game of foosball, and Grosso’s desire for revenge shows how inflated his ego is. Even though he’s loved by the media, there’s a darker desire which shows how ugly he truly is. Some of that still gets conveyed in the translation, but there’s a nuance which always gets lost in the voice direction.

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Tags: Anchor Bay, David Burgess, Eduardo Sacheri, Entertainment One, European Football, Foozball, Gastón Gorali, Juan José Campanella, Metegol, Michael Broadbridge, Roberto Fontanarrosa, Soccer, Spanish, Video Release