Movie Melting Pot… ‘Ping Pong’ (Japan, 2002)

If I were to ask what the Top 5 best sports on the planet are, my money would probably be pretty safely bet against table tennis. On the other hand, that bet is entirely subject to who you’re asking. For years now, I’ve had a personal fascination with the sport of table tennis from a spectator’s point-of-view. Sure, I’ve played my share of the game, but I’m not any good. Then again, I do love to watch those who are talented. I even make a point not to miss table tennis in the Olympics.

‘Ping Pong’ (2002) is a Japanese film I came across in a “used store” about a year ago and was powerless against it’s magnetic draw it had on my wallet. Without hesitation, I snatched up the DVD from the shelf and upon reading the back the movie was mine. Having never seen the movie before, it was a gesture of faith that the filmmaker would do the subject justice, and that he did.

Directed by first-timer Fumihiko Sori, also known simply as SORI (Visual FX Artist and Producer of the anime ‘Appleseed’),   ‘Ping Pong’ tells the story of two friends who grew up playing table tennis together. Hoshino, aka Peco, (Yà ´suke Kubozuka) is an outgoing and obnoxious player with a questionable understanding of what good sportsmanship is, but it all comes down to a love for the game with him. Tsukimoto, aka Smile, (Arata) on the other hand, is a quiet and reserved person who plays not for the love of the game but because he has nothing better to do. These two friends continue to play through high school, but on different terms, causing some tension between them and their fellow teammates.

The heart of ‘Ping Pong’ lies in it’s character development. Peco and Smile are both very likable characters, but for vastly different reasons. For Peco, it’s a story of losing one’s self in defeat and finding a way to rekindle that fire of passion he once had for the game. For Smile, it’s a story of coping with unwelcome success and the consequences it has had on his friendship with Peco. For both of them, it’s a mutual story of discovering what it means both to be a hero and to have a hero.

‘Ping Pong’ begins as a casual, light-hearted comedy but develops slowly into a wonderful dramedy that takes the essence of ‘Rocky’ and ‘Karate Kid’ and transplants what made those films great into the world of table tennis. Peco and Smile must both contend on various levels with worthy opponents. They both go through vigorous training to take them to the next level and the significant battles that are fought at the tables are every bit as engaging and dramatic as Rocky’s fight against Ivan Drago or Daniel’s match against Johnny in ‘Karate Kid’.

An eclectic arrangement of music is used to further entice the viewer’s interest in ‘Ping Pong’ by appropriately setting the mood for many of the scenes. Visually the movie is fairly straight-forward but does slip several crafty techniques and styles just under the radar in a successful effort to enhance the visual storytelling without getting in the way.

By far, the most gratifying experience to take away from ‘Ping Pong’ is the sincere underlying message of what friendship and personal sacrifice are worth, the value of people having heroes and that the joy of those relationships only work if they are mutually embraced. The movie culminates with a shifting of outcomes between the two friends that actually makes the most sense.

‘Ping Pong’ is based on the best-selling comic book by Taiyo Matsumoto. The film won the New York Asian Film Festival that year and received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Village Voice. The DVD was released in September 2007 as a two-disc special edition that included the following features:

• 54-minute Making of ‘Ping Pong’ featurette
• A 16-minute parody of the film called ‘Ting Pong’
• A 16-minute short film called ‘How to Play Ping Pong’
• Original Japanese Trailers
• Television Spots
• Director & Cast Profiles