Ping Pong (2012)
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 19
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 1
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0
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Average Rating: 4.2/5
User Ratings: 230
Movie Info
Les D'Arcy is a living legend. At 89 years old, he's obviously not received the memo about slowing down, and is going for gold, literally. He's headed to China to compete in the over 80s Table Tennis Championships in Inner Mongolia. A seven time world champion, he still lifts weights to train -- something he's been doing for decades, after surviving a sickly childhood. Of course, compared to some, Les is a spring chicken. Australian legend Dorothy deLow is 100, and finds herself a mega celebrity
Sep 9, 2013
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All Critics (19) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (1)
Director Hugh Hartford skillfully documents each person's past and present.
Top CriticA charming and even inspirational doc that follows eight medal-winning veterans of the sport on their way to and through the 15th annual World over-80s Table Tennis Championship.
It's breezy fun, touching lightly on illness and worse.
A rousing documentary that pays tribute to the grit of male and female competitors in the over-80 World Table Tennis Championships.
Uplifting in all senses - it'll propel you off the couch to get busy living too.
The actual matches themselves, as they approach the Finals and still contain some of our characters, become really quite exciting.
Terrific, uplifting, often raw and frequently funny...If the film has a theme, it's how the ageing process can often afflict the body far more than it does the mind.
With lively, skilfully intimate camerawork and sparky editing, the film captures the players' personalities and the energy of the matches.
By briefly profiling each, the filmmakers ensure we care about them all; they are not treated as some sort of novelty act for the sake of the camera, and this is what makes the film a standout
Certainly the feelgood factor is in effect here; but the film doesn't really distinguish itself within the genre.
The doughty spirit of D'Arcy and Donlon shines through, as they keep on defying the odds to play another day.
Strong characters, great access and a firm grip on story arc. Smashing, indeed.
A hugely enjoyable addition to the heartwarming competition-based documentary genre, with likeable characters, suspenseful competition sequences, a great soundtrack and an uplifting central message.
Remarkable people in a heartwarming, inspirational film.
These dynamic table-tennis stars put the rest of us to shame.
A cute precursor to this summer's Games that doesn't quite warrant a theatrical release.
Ping Pong makes a firm case that a strong spirit will aid your longevity. It is a documentary both irreverently funny and deeply affecting.
The sight of this elderly bunch hobbling around the table may well make you laugh, but the passion with which they play each game as if it might (and probably will) be their last will also make you cry.
An unabashed crowd-pleaser, Hugh Hartford's table-top portrait avoids patronising its aged subjects, bouncing between sweetly satirical and sincerely moving.
Audience Reviews for Ping Pong
Ping Pong, a documentary, follows the fortunes of eight elderly amateur table tennis players from around the globe as they compete in the Over-80s Table Tennis Championships, held in Inner Mongolia.
Review
To some, the Inspire a Generation tagline for the London 2012 Olympics may be perceived as too one-dimensional, focusing narrowly on the pubescent bracket, whilst other, more refined age groups are left without the sporting encouragement and concern they deserve. Ping Pong firmly puts our OAPs back in the frame, proving that there is life to be found in the old dogs, yet. The timely message of this piece transcends our Olympiad's stale beacon of motivation, by attesting that the spectre of mortality in old age is no barrier to participating in a good old fashioned game of table tennis, or any sport or activity for that matter.
As with many good documentaries, Ping Pong's subject matter becomes interesting and engrossing with the rolling of the film, whilst dually being ostensibly arid before viewing. Another potential problem the film manages to negate is the threat of a patronising tone towards the table tennis playing pensioners; however, our competitors are so engaging, charming and entertaining, that this is never a distraction, making Ping Pong a wonderfully fascinating documentary.
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Foreign Titles
- Ping Pong (DE)
- Ping Pong (UK)
