59
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonThere'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.
- 70Film ThreatRoss WilliamsFilm ThreatRoss WilliamsDespite being a little cliché, Ping Pong is a hell of a lot of fun.
- 70VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyVery striking stylistic control is exerted in this absorbing if overlong tale of angst-ridden high school competitors.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisStylistically stunning and completely nuts, Ping Pong is nevertheless perceptive about male social hierarchies and the benefits of knowing your place.
- 58Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerSeattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerThere are no surprises in this match, but director Fumihiko Sori makes the games visually thrilling.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckOverlong 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.
- 50Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesChicago ReaderJ.R. JonesThe 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.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe 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.