Review: I can't get enough of this film. I really can't. I'm a big fan of watching films over and over again, but I can honestly say that I'm addicted to PING PONG. The movie drips of cinematic panache, and I take it all, boil it onto a spoon and inject it all into my arm, feeling that sheer rush of electric sensation as I tip my head back slowly and stare through my movie-poster infested ceiling into the abyss of the dark blue, starry sky… Oh yeah, I'm a PING PONG junkie all right and first time director, Fumihiko Masuri, is my pimped-out-in-sharkskin-leather dealer.

Famous for his madcap, screwy style, Taiyo Matsumoto's manga of the same name became a hit with readers as it explored the world of ping pong like never before. And the film adaptation by Masuri is no different. PING PONG analyzes the spirituality of competition and inter-personal relationships between team players and rivals. To them, ping pong was their livelihood and they only knew the color of their blood when it stained the handles of their paddles. Even in the context of the fantastic, surreal attitude of the film, the characters come to life through their determinations and ambitions.

While one might mistakenly compare PING PONG to many other extreme sports films, it just isn't so. For example, SHAOLIN SOCCER uses CENTRO DIGITAL'S artistry to paint and overwhelm the picture with beautiful, dynamic action, but for PING PONG'S dreamlike atmosphere, CG is used intermittently throughout, but is extremely subtle in execution, ranging from dragonflies over ping pong tables, butterfly wings on a character or even the rapid fast ping pong balls zipping back and forth in mid matches. It is this delicate and faint styling that gives PING PONG its edge.

Almost unnoticeably, PING PONG raves to the beat of BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, the Tokyo-based duo famous for their kinetic electronica, among other internationally known groups such as SUPERCAR and WORLD FAMOUS. I have to admit, one of the first things that drew me to PING PONG was the music from the official trailer. The almost hauntingly gorgeous song that played throughout sent ripples through my cerebral cortex, dousing it in stimulating, candy sprinkles. The soundtrack is probably one of the sole reasons why PING PONG was such an experience for me and I can't wait to own the soundtrack so I can put it in my drawls.

What can I say? I'm in love with this film. And this love is unconditional, meaning that this film can satisfy me anytime of the day, anywhere I'm at. I've shown the film to countless friends and while some of them didn't "get it," it's quite alright. For those who will though, they'll definitely find a film that will inspire them and show them what the next plateau of coolness looks like.