An unsuccessful football manager tries to impress an aristocratic, successful one, with the objective of selling him the passes of two unpromising African players. At the same time, their wives get bored out of their skulls and their children get romantically involved. Hilarity ensues? No, not really, but there are worse ways to lose 1 1/2 hours of one's life.

This is a remake of the classic 1947 movie "O Leão da Estrela" but with a twist only discernible to Portuguese viewers: "O Leão" is a Sporting Clube de Portugal supporter and "O Lampião" is a Sport Lisboa e Benfica supporter (Benfica and Sporting being two of the major Portuguese football/soccer teams).

Other minor differences include a general updating of the football scene from the mid forties to more recent years, the main character being a football manager, as opposed to just a supporter in the '47 version, and the inclusion of a new subplot about a team of security guards.

The plot is not original or especially funny, the acting is adequate for a light comedy about football, although subpar. Even Herman José, the star of this movie and one of the greatest comedians in the history of Portuguese television, is mostly uninspired, well below his other works as "O Tal Canal" and "Herman Enciclopédia".

In short, this suffers from the remake curse: if you want to see a good comedy with the same general themes, try the original "O Leão da Estrela" instead.

I felt a great joy, after seeing this film, not because it is a master piece, but because it convinced me of, that the Portuguese cinema became really very good. We can see here the best Portuguese actores in this field.

For a portuguese tv movie this one is great, With some moments of really good humor. It's about soccer and people behind it. The movie has Herman Jose "the kingdom clown", the master of humor, the beauty of Catarina Furtado and one of the best humorists in our country Jose Pedro Gomes (Lousada) and of course Borges Pinto (H Viana)-the man from the north. If you don't see this movie, don't worry, it works for portuguese because it's all about portuguese way of life, humor and soccer...

Actor Herman José plays the role of a football of a soccer entrepreneur that acquires the pass of two African players and tries to sell them for very little money to the rival club of the Benfica (club of its heart),FC Porto, therefore these players did not play well, and it wanted that the FC Port was wronged with this. But what happens is that these two players after all are good and FC Porto sell them for much money to a foreign club, making a good business. The film, for a small country as Portugal, without great antecedents in great films, is a very good and funny comedy, showing all the rivalry that exists between North/South of Portugal (FC Porto/Benfica). Highly recommended

Along with Fernando Fragata, João Mário Grilo, Abi Feijó, Leonel Vieira, étc...(other commercial directors), Diamantino Costa is one of the best Portuguese Directors; "O Lampião da Estrela" was his (Diamantino Costa) First movie, before he made several successful commercials. This title is starred by one of the best Portuguese comedians of all times, Herman José and José Pedro Gomes are great. Its a very funny movie!! (28/07/2000)

BOA SORTE DIAMANTINO...

He´s problably the best stand up comediant in Portugal. seeing him in this movie is not enough. he deserves much more protagonism... his own show!