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Sometimes one woman can change the course of sporting history. Chan Peter Ho-sun's volleyball drama (which sometimes recreates events so closely that it feels more like documentary) tells the story of national legend Lang Ping in three parts, starting with her exploits as a player (when she is played by Bai Lang, daughter of the woman herself), progressing through her time overseas coaching the US team, and concluding with her return to prepare the Chinese national team for the 2016 Olympics. Lang's is a tale full of big achievements and one which inspires national pride, but can this very straightforward retelling connect with audiences who were not following the real life drama as it unfolded?

Though a huge hit at home, this is a curious choice for China's 2021 Oscar submission. Practically all of its big emotional beats depend on a sense of national pride or, at the very least on viewers identifying with the fictional characters to the extent that they want them to win, but character is exactly what it's lacking. Whilst some of the reconstructions really are impressive and the real sports stars who play themselves are well directed to capture their skill without stretching them too much as actors, we never really get to know the people involved as individuals. What's more, the film itself is far too slick and predictable (even if one isn't familiar with the events it's based on) to make a lasting impression.

In this situation, less would have been more. At over two hours in length, the film feels padded and unwieldy. The language of earnest coaches becomes so repetitive that it starts to sound funny rather than inspiring, and Chan packs in every cliché short choice in the history of sports movies. Slow pans across the pack, slow motion as a hand nears the net and pull-backs to show rivals gasping in disbelief are massively overplayed. The music may well work in China itself, where sentimental scores are such a familiar part of cinema that viewers experience them differently, but many viewers elsewhere are likely to find it insufferably twee. In essence, this is Chinese filmmaking Hollywood style, glossy and overblown and just what the industry has been striving for but very far from the country's best work.

Things get better as we move into the film's later stages. Li Gong is an actor of international calibre and, taking over in the role of Lang, she shows us the strength of personality that was necessary for the former player to move forward into coaching and make it to the top of her profession. The character is underwritten, however; we get little sense of internal conflict or any kind of emotional journey. Whilst there's a lot of potential in her story, the film the film is pedestrian and unlikely to make newcomers interested in finding out more about her.

If you actually play volleyball or are involved with it at a professional level, you may well find the reconstructions here compelling. If you're Chinese and any kid of sports fan, you may feel a thrill watching some of the team's victories - but across the film's running time, these are not enough to maintain an emotional grip. Just like the real life story, the film has value as inspiration for girls considering sporting careers and for those who need encouragement to discover what their bodies are capable of, but beyond that, it's not so much a leap as a shamble.