I know I sound like a broken record, but the Koreans are the masters of entertainment! And only the Koreans are masters of combining comedy with drama with a thoughtful message, which in my opinion, represents the next step of evolution in the entertainment industry. We all want to be entertained, but to use the medium of movies and TV shows to convey a message is to really use this medium to inspire and provide awareness.

This movie is a true delight, and you are likely to find yourselves with some absolute laugh-out-loud moments as well as moments that just might tug at your heartstrings.

Yoon Hong Dae is a professional soccer player who ends up in trouble and is placed on probation. His agent—in order to try and restore Dae’s questionable reputation—puts him in charge of organizing and coaching a team—a team of homeless men to compete in the World Cup for Homeless players in Budapest.

Of course, we get a collection of homeless men of varying ages and backgrounds with different sets of skills. Seeing these guys attempting to play soccer is absolutely hilarious! One cheers when he kicks the ball and his shoe flies over the goal! And yet, each player has something to play for. They aren’t proud of being homeless, but this game just might restore the confidence to make some life changes as well as help people become aware that homelessness is a problem that has to be addressed. There are enough resources on this planet to ensure that every single human being has food, water, clothes, and shelter. So, why is it so hard?

Lee So Min is in charge of the documentary she is making to help showcase the team. Of course, she and Hong Dae don’t exactly see eye-to-eye, and their spats and bickering will make you giggle.

At first, Hong Dae is less than thrilled to be coaching a team of homeless men, most of whom have little-to-no skills. He figures he’s wasting his time, but the more he gets to know them, the more he finds a connection between each of them. Perhaps that is a part of the process: not to see a homeless person as a homeless person but as a person. It’s difficult to ignore someone when you’ve developed a connection. It’s even more inspiring when the entire team comes together to try and get Hong Dae out of trouble when he’s wrongfully charged with assault against four teen boys who harassed a woman with a mental disability.

The movie isn’t about winning. It’s about awareness as well as simply doing your best no matter how badly the odds are stacked against you. This is an especially powerful point when dealing with homeless people who may easily feel, “What’s the point? Nothing changes.” But Hong Dae asks them a poignant question, “Are you here for records or for memories?”

One thing I will say is that this movie is certainly memorable, important, and a sheer delight to watch. It reminded me of a combination of the “The Mighty Ducks” and “The Bad News Bears.” “Dream” certainly more than belongs in that kind of company!