Ping Pong Summer

For those of us who loved Michael Tully's directorial debut, SEPTIEN, it was rather surprising to discover that he had a dream. That dream is PING PONG SUMMER -- a movie so far removed from his directorial debut it is almost impossible to imagine that both were made by the same artist!

There have been a number of movies that have attempted to recreate the 80's in just as many ways. Because this film is written/directed by Michael Tully you might expect that he would create something similar to David Wain's WET HOT American SUMMER … only more twisted. But that is not his intent. But this is no parody. This is not cynical.This is not even an ode to 1980's movies.

PING PONG SUMMER is simply a nostalgic memory of a very specific moment not only in American culture -- but in the life of a 13 year old boy. And guess what, it's not about a boy trying to get laid or having to survive through a traumatic childhood. This is a movie about a slightly awkward kid trying to find a way to assert his identity.

During a family summer vacation, an awkward 13 year old tries to find a way to assert his identity. The only problem is that he is just a bit too young and innocent to understand what that means, Rad ends up having a nice summer. We follow Rad through the summer. Things do happen, but never in an even slightly unbelievable way.

The magic of the movie lies in it's simplicity. We often only see the world through the eyes of a normal kid. And we quite literally re-experience 1985 from his perspective. Hip Hop was just about to break mainstream, Boom-boxes ruled, the Arcade was THE place to be and it was crucial to master the art of achieving the perfect mix for your Icey! Oh, and do remember the obscene amount and choice of food at buffet restaurant?!?!

There is actually a great deal of humor here.,but don't expect generic slapstick or crass humor. The films humor most often sneaks in just below the radar. The funniest moments are are in the way the characters react to the situations and/or comments made by others. Even when Amy Sedaris and Robert Longstreet are introduced as the "looney" aunt and uncle — the humor is not directly aimed at their inappropriate behavior. The funny aspect of this short extended family visit is in the way Rad's family creatively navigates the situation. They are family, after all.

It would be hard for anyone who was between the ages of 12 to 19 in the year of 1985 not enjoy this movie. There was something bittersweet about the movie. It often feels like a memory.

PPS is a homage to the 80s through and through - care has been taken with the usual wardrobe and hair, but more than that it has tried to capture something of both the mannerisms and the film style of the 80s.

The film has both a John Hughes' summer of coming of age vibe and even a touch of Napolean Dynamite in the family's relatives. It also pays more than a nod to the Eighties style of sports' movies, here through a ping pong game against the local bully rich kid.

All in all, this has more style than substance, but it well put together with an excellent cast. It will appeal ti a wide audience of those who remember the Eighties and to those who like the idea of the Eighties. It's a fun watch and a good film to share with friends.

The premise was great. Having grown up in the 80's, when I saw the description I had to watch this movie. The first five minutes really got my hopes up. I love nostalgia and the film was spot on as the director shot it through a mid 80's camera lens. Except for the 1989 police car, (horrible choice) everything was authentic for the most part. But the plot was too formulaic. Too many movie clichés. However, there were some funny moments. This film is only worth watching due to the fact that there's a shortage of new 80's nostalgia films like this. Because it's seen through the eyes of a young teen male, it might only be enjoyable for a guy in his forties today as he might be able to reminisce of his 80's childhood through the film.

This film is about a teenager who takes up ping pong ball by chance during a family summer holiday in a seaside town.

I guess this film is more about the story than the acting, but I still think "Ping Pong Summer" can be better in this aspect. The teenage actors are not very convincing, only the Gothic sister is good. The plot is probably supposed to be inspiring, but it turns out to be very flat and not very engaging. Maybe it's because there's no ups then downs, or maybe there's not enough intensive training, or the psychological motivation to win is not presented to be strong enough. The plot fails to interest me. I wonder why Susan Sarandon got involved with this project. And the film could have cast all unknowns to save on budget.

One's impression while watching this film is fairly mixed: there were many parts that made it funnier than the typical Hollywood Asian rip-off (intentionally so) which kept me interested in the film. Furthermore, the acting is not as bad as typical of this genre, and I found some of the characters especially expressive and entertaining.

However, the fault of the film is that it falls victim to many of the errors of US rips on Japanese cinema: the quality being grainy and questionable, the simplicity of the plot and having shocking simplicity in the archetypes of good & evil, and furthermore, being overall rather corny.

But if you can stand for a typical "re-imagined" B movie, this is not so bad; I found it entertaining and its' pong scenes were not very shabby, either. And furthermore, the film did not fall victim to any ridiculous subplot or added Twilight-esque love-stories, nor was it ruined by an overwhelming personality clogging up the story, which can easily kill other films. For what they have, a decent film. If you see it for what it is, it is not hard to watch and enjoy it. Decent for anybody who has an attachment to the genre.