Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 25
Fresh: 21 | Rotten: 4
Though the story is quite simple and the pace slow, the movie is a charming one, set against beautiful scenery.
Average Rating: 6.4/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 2
Though the story is quite simple and the pace slow, the movie is a charming one, set against beautiful scenery.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 718
A lone ping-pong ball floating along a remote Mongolian river sets a trio of young boys on the adventure of a lifetime in director Ning Hao's tale of discovery and adventure in east-central Asia. Little has changed in the landscape of Mongolia since the ancient days of Genghis Kahn, so when Bilike, Erguotou, and Dawa discover a mysterious white ball dancing along the surface of the water, their curiosity quickly gets the best of them. Informed by Bilike's grandmother that the strange sphere is a
Apr 21, 2006 Limited
Oct 24, 2006
First Run
All Critics (26) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (4) | DVD (2)
Somehow, Hao never breaks the spell of enchantment over the proceedings. He doesn't find the characters quaint or amusing, he finds them real and human and confers the full dignity of existence upon them.
Wistful, humorous and majestically pictorial, Mongolian Ping Pong is an off-trail film full of offtbeat delights.
A candid and enviably uncluttered film.
Episodic and meandering, with several tedious stretches.
Although its leisurely pace might be a bit tough going for restless Westerners, Mongolian Ping Pong is the kind of film that should be seen by children, not just adults.
Like the best films about children -- and Iranian filmmakers have been particularly good at this -- it puts the camera right among them, and sees the often-confusing world of adults through their eyes.
A quarter century after the release of The Gods Must Be Crazy, this charming variation on the theme relies on a similar scenario to examine the lost innocence of another naive primitive.
More atmospheric than funny, this deliberately paced picture features some of the most breathtaking cinematography of the year. Best of all, it makes a persuasive case against the voracious onslaught of so-called progress.
Gorgeous coming of age tale featuring nonprofessional cast of Mongolian nomads.
Ping Pong intends to be a quiet meditation on the little things in life. It's also dreadfully dull.
Some judicious pruning could have turned this modestly entertaining, 101-minute film into a considerably better, 80- or 90-minute one.
An extremely beautiful film.
Mongolian Ping Pong takes you far, far away, and it's a beautiful place to be.
Less concerned with its plot, which is gossamer-thin and not terribly involving, than with describing the nature of the lives these inhabitants of the remote steppe lead.
A unique, charming coming-of-age film.
With wonderfully natural performances by the children, this is a family movie that crosses cultural boundaries in a celebration of the magical possibilities inherent in everyday objects.
If only puerile wish-fulfillment didn't so often feel like patronizing bullcrap onscreen.
Mongolian Ping Pong will likely get only limited art house exposure and this will be a shame.
...nothing will prepare you for the sheer beauty of this flat, verdant landscape whose horizon seems to stretch out into infinity.
Affecting feature from first-time director is an exercise in restraint.
Visually a beautiful film that does not have much in the way of story for the viewer to hold on to for it's 100 minute running time. Has some very noteworthy ambiguous moments that could lose some people. Not essential viewing, but if you don't mind a quiet foreign film, you won't be any worse off for having watched
November 19, 2006Refreshingly non-western. Unlike most films that get called "kid's movies," this one can actually make adults remember what it felt like to be a child. The amazing visuals help too.
December 11, 2010
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