Synopsis
As children, the introverted Smile was being bullied by a gang of kids until the brash Peco comes by and chases all of them them away. Peco then takes Smile under his wings and teaches him how to play the game of ping pong. From there a life long best friend relationship comes into existence between these two polar opposite kids.
Votre Filmothèque
Cast
- Yosuke KubozukaYutaka "Peco" Hoshino
- Arata IuraMakoto "Smile" Tsukimoto
- Sam LeeKong "China" Wenge
- Shido NakamuraRyuichi "Dragon" Kazama
- Koji OhkuraManabu "Demon" Sakuma
- Naoto TakenakaButterfly Joe
- Mari NatsukiObaba
- Suzuki MatsuoPolice Officer on the Bridge
- Yoshiyoshi ArakawaOta
- Koen KondoTako
Recommandations
- 75
Chicago Tribune
There's nothing particularly original or striking about Ping Pong except its style. It's a breezy, likable story, and the director here, Fumihiko Sori, obviously enjoys his work. - 70
Film Threat
Despite being a little cliché, Ping Pong is a hell of a lot of fun. - 70
Variety
Very striking stylistic control is exerted in this absorbing if overlong tale of angst-ridden high school competitors. - 70
The New York Times
Stylistically stunning and completely nuts, Ping Pong is nevertheless perceptive about male social hierarchies and the benefits of knowing your place. - 58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
There are no surprises in this match, but director Fumihiko Sori makes the games visually thrilling. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
Overlong and overstuffed with characters and situations, Ping Pong doesn't really succeed on a dramatic level. But there is no denying its skill in rendering its chosen milieu with an intense visual immediacy. - 50
Chicago Reader
The main characters are a couple of revered high school table-tennis champs (one short and aggressive, the other tall and moody), and their efforts to win a big national tournament accommodate plenty of Zen aphorisms, glaring showdowns, and slow-motion paddle swinging. - 40
Village Voice
The film vividly portrays the obsessive landscape of Japanese table tennis, but the endless ping . . . pong of that teeny ball bouncing over that teeny net gets tiresome, especially in slo-mo.
