Mongolian Ping Pong
First Run Features | Release Date: April 21, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Movies don't come any more charming than Mongolian Ping Pong. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeJanice Page
In Mongolian Ping Pong the point is to look under the majestic vistas and see value in ordinary things -- ping-pong balls included. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
A tender, visually stunning comedy-drama. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
Takes a humorously gentle approach to the culture clash between the primitive and the modern. With wonderfully natural performances by the children, this is a family movie that crosses cultural boundaries in a celebration of the magical possibilities inherent in everyday objects. Read full review
70
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Much more so than any movie actually about spiritual discipline, the new Chinese film Mongolian Ping Pong could be a meditational object-- if, perhaps, it wasn't a sneaky comedy and, to boot, one of the most breathtaking cinematic records of landscape and sky ever filmed. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
Although its leisurely pace might be a bit tough going for restless Westerners, Mongolian Ping Pong is the kind of film that should rightly be seen by children, not just adventurous adults. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
This is one of the most becalming films ever made. The grasslands seem oddly serene, and to watch them is to feel your pulse rate flatten out -- yet another aspect of Mongolian Ping Pong's transcendent charm. Read full review
60
VarietyDerek Elley
A charming but overextended yarn about some prairie tykes who mistake a table-tennis ball for a glowing pearl from the gods. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
This sounds like a slender premise on which to hang a feature, but director Ning Hao is more interested in ethnography and landscapes than narrative and often holds our interest by concentrating on how folklore, technology--motorbikes, cars, trucks, films, TV--and imagination affect a nomadic way of life. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen Johnson
Hao doesn't seem to have a point of view. Mongolian Ping-Pong is episodic and meandering, with several tedious stretches. Read full review
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