{{Infobox film | name = Crab Goalkeeper | image = File:Crab_Goalkeeper_2006_Movie_Poster.jpg | caption = | director = Minoru Kawasaki | writer = | producer = | starring = | narrator = | cinematography = | editing = | music = | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2006|05|27}} | runtime = 92 minutes | country = Japan | language = Japanese | budget = }} {{nihongo|'''''Crab Goalkeeper'''''|かにゴールキーパー|Kani Goalkeeper}} is a 2006 Japanese monster and sports comedy directed by Minoru Kawasaki and starring Hiroshi Fujioka and Naoto Takenaka.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ジョルダン |title=かにゴールキーパーの上映スケジュール・映画情報 |url=https://movie.jorudan.co.jp/film/37710/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=映画の時間 |language=ja |archive-date=2023-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520062822/https://movie.jorudan.co.jp/film/37710/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film portrays an oversized crab who plays as a football goal keeper. Kawasaki described it as being "like Forrest Gump, but with a crab."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-02-22 |title=The bizarre world of Japanese Sea Life Sports movies |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/sea-life-sports-movies/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref>
The film was featured on the BBC documentary 'Japanorama' (episode of 5 October 2006)
== Plot == Members of a Japanese football team decide to hire a giant crab to play as goalkeeper.
== Cast ==
* Hiroshi Fujioka * Arthur Kiroda
== Background == Alongside with two other films, ''The'' ''Calamari Wrestler'' and ''Monster Seafood War''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-29 |title=Fantasia 2020 Review: MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS Plays Kaiju Karnage For Laughs |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2020/08/fantasia-2020-review-monster-seafood-wars-plays-kaiju-karnage-for-laughs.html |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=ScreenAnarchy |archive-date=2023-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519171856/https://screenanarchy.com/2020/08/fantasia-2020-review-monster-seafood-wars-plays-kaiju-karnage-for-laughs.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Crab Goalkeeper ''has been noted as an example of one of Kawasaki's signature subgenres: "Sea Life Sports films".<ref name=":0" /> More generally, Kawasaki makes an extensive use of anthropomorphic animal creatures in his films, as in ''Kabuto-O Beetle'' or in ''Executive Koala.''<ref name=":0" /> ''Crab Goalkeeper'' is also considered part of "the voluntary kitsch apparent in Kawasaki's crazy productions".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Navarro Remesal |first=Víctor |title=Cine ludens. 50 diálogos entre cine y juego |publisher=Editorial UOC, S.L. |year=2019 |isbn=9788491804147 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
== Reception == The film was described as "another attempt at dealing with bizarre topics"<ref>{{Cite web |title=かにゴールキーパー : 作品情報 |url=https://eiga.com/movie/56522/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=映画.com |language=ja}}</ref> in Kawasaki's career. Another review, calling the film a "mysterious work", found in this "series of emotional episodes provoking laughter and tears" an exploration of the way an animal can change through their contact with humans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pia |first=Natasha |title=かにゴールキーパー {{!}} あらすじ・内容・スタッフ・キャスト・作品情報 |url=https://natalie.mu/eiga/film/145447 |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=映画ナタリー |language=ja}}</ref>
==References== <references />
==External links== * {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20061006055737/http://www.kani-gk.com/}} *{{IMDb title|tt1076820|Kani Goalkeeper}}
{{Minoru Kawasaki}}
Category:2006 films Category:2000s sports comedy films Category:2006 sports films Category:2000s monster movies Category:Films directed by Minoru Kawasaki Category:Japanese sports comedy films Category:2006 Japanese films Category:Films about crabs Category:Japanese association football films Category:Films about animals playing sports