well done, funny, especially if you play TT or speak Chinese

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2007)

I enjoyed this movie a lot. It was neither Die Hard action or Three Stooges slapstick. There is a lot of subtle humor in the style of Reno 911. I am a serious table tennis player and recognized a lot of inside jokes about the lack of respect our sport gets and the characters who show up to tournaments. There was lots of funny material in the Chinese language also. I thought Dan Fogler, Maggie Q, Tom Lennon, and Jason Scott Lee were excellent. The "Dragon" stole the show for me. At the US Nationals, there are several amazing "dragons" every year playing spectacularly. Table tennis is really a great and difficult sport. You have to master equipment, speed and spin, pressure points, and even the occasional cheater. But everyone who tries the sport or comes back to it in later years, finds it addictive. It is like catnip for humans. I think many serious players fear that this movie might set our sport back or make it the butt of jokes, but I hope many will see this movie and give table tennis a try. Table tennis has been described as a mix of non-contact martial arts and chess and portions of this movie portrayed it as such. I don't think it would be suitable for young children, but teenagers won't be traumatized. Also stay for the credits, which introduce the cast and show bloopers.