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04/15/05
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The Year of the Yao (2005)
66
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:21
Rotten:11
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: This sports bio documentary is given a few fresh angles, including culture clash issues, and the friendship that develops between Yao and his interpreter.
Theatrical Release:2005
Synopsis: This documentary tells a unique story of Eastern and Western cultures merging within the world of professional basketball. Yao Ming, the seven-feet-six-inches-tall athlete who is a star in his... [More]
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Reviews for The Year of the Yao
. . . a study of culture clashes, the globalization of sports, and most of all the friendship of two guys thrown together by a wise Fate.
04/11/05
Win or lose, in an era of sports idols as rock stars, Yao is a breath of fresh air.
04/15/05
Top CriticThe movie's focus on Yao is limited by his lack of narrative abilities.
05/09/05
there's plenty to see in this engaging film
03/18/06
James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo's taut, engrossing 2004 documentary on Chinese basketball player Yao Ming's first year in the NBA offers insight into the game and its stars.
03/25/08
A surprisingly layered portrait of a rookie with the hopes of a nation -- a big nation -- riding on his shoulders, and the frustrations and small victories that entails.
07/15/05
The film is happily as fast paced as the sport of basketball itself: there are no bearded, stuttering academics discussing any aspect of the story.
01/19/07
One expects it to be a feel-good, emphasize-the-positive kind of movie, and it is. But there are several other fascinating angles to be found here.
04/15/05
You don't have to be a hoops fanatic, or even a sports aficionado of any sort, to enjoy The Year of the Yao, slickly entertaining docu.
04/13/05
Top CriticEasily the best basketball film I've seen in years.
05/16/05
...while their subject is amiably charismatic, the filmmakers fail to fully get beneath his skin. Still...it's a sports documentary that can be enjoyed by anyone...
04/29/05
Sure, it's fun to watch big-screen close-ups of Yao battling with O'Neal, though it feels like another ESPN special.
05/06/05
Top CriticShould be a natural for NBA fans and please non-enthusiasts as well.
08/05/05
Top CriticA skillful and winning piece of honest booster portraiture directed by James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo.
04/13/05
Top CriticFrom language barriers to international political barriers, Yao promises something most documentaries miss entirely -- insight and hope.
05/06/05
The excitement on the court and the banter and good-natured ribbing in the locker room is handled by the book by the behind the camera crew.
04/28/05
Undeniably rousing.
04/14/05
A good-spirited and entertaining look at a famous anomaly.
03/21/05
A very compelling sports documentary.
04/17/05
Latest News for The Year of the Yao
September 19, 2006:
Yao Ming Turns Down "Rush Hour 3"
Brett Ratner can cross out yet another celebrity from his dream cast for "Rush Hour 3." In an interview with a sports writer from a Chinese newspaper, it's revealed... More...
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