Ping Pong Playa

After a string of successful documentaries, Academy Award-winning director Jessica Yu (In the Realms of the Unreal) delves into new territory for her first narrative feature, a sports comedy with an unlikely slacker hero. Make no mistake, this is not the atrocious Balls of Fury; with smart, subversive humor that riffs on race relations and stereotypes, plus a soundtrack full of Asian American hip hop artists, Ping Pong Playa will leave you rollin’ in your seats, or at least rollin’ with your homies.

For the Wang family, ping pong is life: Mr. Wang runs a specialty store for enthusiasts, Mrs. Wang teaches youngsters how to play at the community center and elder son Michael (Roger Fan, Better Luck Tomorrow) is the reigning tournament champ. But for younger son Christopher, a.k.a. “C-Dub,” life is about video games, hip hop and dunking on the 10-year olds at the kiddie basketball courts. When Michael and Mrs. Wang sustain wrist injuries in a car accident, and a rival player attempts to lure the Wangs’ students to his own ping pong school, it’s up to C-Dub to protect his family’s honor (and business).

Co-writer and star Jimmy Tsai shines as C-Dub and walks the fine line between obnoxious irreverence and lovable charm with finesse. Like its namesake sport, Ping Pong Playa is a delightful romp, with Yu serving up a clever, crowd-pleasing comedy in the spirit of classic Hollywood underdog films.