Metegol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Metegol |
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Original Argentine release poster
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| Directed by | Juan José Campanella |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Emilio Kauderer |
| Cinematography | Félix Monti |
| Editing by |
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 18, 2013 (Argentina) |
| Running time | 85 minutes (USA) 106 minutes (Argentina/Spain) 97 minutes (UK) |
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| Language | Spanish |
| Budget | $21 million |
| Money made | $34 million |
Metegol is an exciting computer-animated comedy film from 2013. Its name means "table football" in Spanish. In different countries, it's also known as Underdogs (in the United States) or The Unbeatables (in the United Kingdom). Sometimes, people just call it Foosball.
This movie was co-written, produced, directed, and edited by Juan J. Campanella. The story is inspired by a short story called Memorias de un wing derecho (Memoirs of a Right Winger) by the Argentine writer Roberto Fontanarrosa.
Metegol was made by companies in Argentina and Spain. It first came out in Argentina on July 18, 2013. It broke records there for how many people watched it on its first day! The film cost about $21 million to make, which made it the most expensive Argentine film ever at the time, and the most expensive animated movie from Latin America.
Later, in 2014, The Weinstein Company bought the rights to show the movie in North America. The English version for North America, called Underdogs, came out on DVD in July 2016. It was also available on Netflix in the United States in June 2016.
The film got mixed reviews from critics around the world. It has a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which means most reviews were positive, but on Metacritic, it scored 38%, showing some mixed feelings.
Many famous voices lent their talents to the English versions of the film. In the American version, you can hear stars like Ariana Grande, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Morrison, and Mel Brooks. The UK version features voices from actors like Rupert Grint, Ralf Little, and Rob Brydon.
Contents
Story of the Film
The movie begins with a father telling his son a bedtime story. He encourages his son to use his imagination as he listens.
Amadeo's Foosball Skills
Many years ago, there was a shy boy named Amadeo. He was the best table football (or foosball) player in his small, quiet town. Amadeo worked in a bar and secretly liked a girl named Laura. One day, while showing Laura the foosball table, a big bully named Grosso arrived. Grosso challenged Amadeo to a game right in front of Laura. Amadeo didn't want to play at first, but he ended up winning! Everyone in the bar cheered for him. Outside the bar, Grosso met a manager who offered to help him become a famous football player.
Grosso's Return
Seven years later, Amadeo's peaceful life changed completely. Grosso had become the best football player in the world! He returned to their small town to get revenge for his only defeat – losing to Amadeo. Now famous, Grosso announced that he had bought the entire village. The town's mayor even ran away in a helicopter! Grosso then built a huge football stadium. But he was more interested in owning the foosball table where he lost to Amadeo and destroying the bar where he was defeated. He also wanted to win Laura's affection.
A Magical Discovery
With his town, the bar, and even his spirit feeling crushed, Amadeo discovered something amazing. The little foosball players from his table came to life! They could talk and plan. Together, they decided to go on an adventure to save Laura. On their journey, they learned to work as a real team.
The Big Game
While Grosso turned the town into a giant stadium and formed his own soccer team, Amadeo gathered his foosball players and other friends. He also formed a soccer team to challenge Grosso for their town. In the big game, Grosso's team scored early. But with the help of the magical foosball players, Amadeo's team managed to tie the game.
The Champion's Spirit
With only seconds left, Grosso purposely hurt Amadeo, stopping him from blocking the winning goal. Grosso celebrated his victory, but the crowd didn't cheer for him. Instead, they praised Amadeo for his good sportsmanship. Grosso's fans turned against him because of his selfishness, and his manager left him. Even Grosso's teammates congratulated Amadeo. In the end, Amadeo and Laura reunited. Amadeo, Laura, and their friends built a new town to honor their victory.
The Story Continues
The father, who is Amadeo, finishes his story and leaves his son's room. But his son stays awake and hears voices. He goes to the shed to check and finds Amadeo and the foosball players talking at the table. Happy to see them, he joins their conversation.
Meet the Voice Cast
Many talented actors voiced the characters in Metegol in different languages. Here are some of the main characters and who voiced them:
| Character | Original Spanish voice | UK English voice | US English voice |
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| Amadeo (Jake Hoffer in the US) | David Masajnik (adult) Natalia Rosminati (young) |
Rupert Grint (adult) Darren Boyd (older) Oscar Leonard (young) |
Matthew Morrison (adult) Shawn Mendes (young) |
| Capi (Captain Skip in the UK and US) | Pablo Rago | Ralf Little | Taran Killam |
| Loco (Ziggy in the US) | Horacio Fontova | Peter Serafinowicz | John Leguizamo |
| Beto (Rico in the UK and US) | Fabián Gianola | Rob Brydon | Eugenio Derbez |
| Capitán Liso (Gregor in the UK and Captain Rip in the US) | Miguel Ángel Rodríguez | Alex Norton | Bobby Moynihan |
| Laura (Lara in the UK) | Lucía Maciel | Eve Ponsonby (adult) Fern Deacon (young) |
Ariana Grande (adult) Katie Holmes (older) Bella Thorne (young) |
| Grosso (Flash in the UK and Ace Remacho in the US) | Diego Ramos (adult) Mariana Otero (young) |
Anthony Head (adult) Jack Maison-Hayman (young) |
Nicholas Hoult (adult) Brooklyn Beckham (young) |
| Manager (Agent in the US) | Coco Sily | Stanley Townsend | Mel Brooks |
Making the Film
The movie Metegol was first announced on November 27, 2009. The main characters' voices in the original Spanish version were done by actors like Pablo Rago, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, and David Masajnik.
Sergio Pablos, who helped create the idea for Despicable Me, worked as an animation director for part of Metegol. He also gave advice to director Juan José Campanella. The rest of the animation was led by Federico Radero and Mario Serie.
The Puerto Rican band Calle 13 wrote and performed the original song for the movie.
Film Release Dates
An English version of the film was made in the United Kingdom by 369 Productions. It was released as The Unbeatables on August 15, 2014. This UK version featured voices from stars like Rupert Grint and Rob Brydon.
In March 2014, The Weinstein Company got the rights to release the film in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France. They planned to release their own English version, called Underdogs. This US version included voices from Ariana Grande, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Morrison, and Mel Brooks. The film's release date was changed several times before it was finally released directly to video on July 19, 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Metegol (película) para niños
