Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Ping Pong Summer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 30, 2014

If Ping Pong Summer had been released in the mid-1980s, it would probably be remembered today as a grossly dated product of a bygone era, a movie that would have been considered "hip and happening" in its day in the sun -- literally, its day -- that turned into moldy cinema cheese immediately thereafter. Yet fortune smiles on the film, for now that audiences are long since removed from the era of colorful makeup, mesh shirts, and huge boom boxes, Director Michael Tully's (Septien) film plays as a genuinely likable and cheery throwback to a significantly simpler time. Ping Pong Summer, then, can be summed up in one word: "nostalgia." It's linear entertainment with no real message but home to a good rhythm and nicely written yet ultimately one-dimensional characters just having fun in their little jaunt back in time.

Game time.

The Miracle family -- mom Candall (Lea Thompson), pop Brendan (John Hannah), daughter Michelle (Helena May Seabrook), and son Rad (Marcello Conte) -- is headed to Ocean City for a summer vacation. Rad arrives with only his ping-pong paddle and a $20 bill to get him through the trip. It's not long before he meets Teddy (Myles Massey), a boy of his age whom he quickly befriends. But opposites attract and local bullies Lyle (Joseph McCaughtry) and Dale (Andy Riddle) smell "loser" written all over the newcomer. Lyle humiliates Rad in a game of ping pong in a local hangout. Rad challenges him to rematch but knows he must find a source of training and inspiration if he's to complete a volley and score a point, let alone win the game. Enter a misunderstood local named Randi Jammer (Susan Sarandon) who takes Rad under her wing and trains him in the fine art of hitting a ping pong ball. Meanwhile, Rad must deal in matters of the heart as a relationship with local hottie Stacy (Emmi Shockley) blossoms into something more than a pulse-quickening friendship.

A few years ago, Ping Ping Summer would have had "Michael Cera" written all over it. It's a film that would have felt as if it were written with that actor in mind for the role of Rad Miracle, and no doubt Cera would have devoured the material. Yet with his advancement in years, now is the beginning of the era of Marcello Conte, a young actor who, if his performance in this film is any indication, seems poised to take the Cera mantle and run with it for the next few years. Conte truly nails the part through-and-through, not simply filling the role but living it, finding an undeniably 1980s cadence to everything from his speech to his most subtle mannerisms. He carries himself like a child of the 80s and finds the deeper inner emotion necessary to really sell the part beyond the superficial, too, evident with every head hung in shame, every confrontation with Lyle, each awkward romantic moment with Stacy, and every smile shared with pal Teddy. The cast truly soaks up the material and accomplishes so much more than playing dress-up, from grizzled vets like Susan Sarandon playing a misunderstood local "curmudgeon" to newcomers like Myles Massey who play their parts so naturally it wouldn't be a surprise to learn they just stepped out of a DeLorean and onto the set.

The film is much more than the sum of its performances. It also looks the part, too, capturing that 1980s feel and vibe in every shot. Never does the film betray its era in any way, particularly form a visual perspective. And even as the film looks and sounds great, it plays even better. While it's true that Ping Pong Summer never does get off the ground with any kind of meaningful theme, it's structured in such a way that it doesn't have to. It channels films like The Karate Kid and License to Drive, featuring a hero biting off more than he can chew, so to speak, under the shadow of a towering bully, while at the same time finding ways to have fun, 80s style, with a good friend. For as aimless as much of the movie appears, it never meanders but instead revels in the simplicity of the family, the friendships, and the antagonism that runs through it. It's a film of simple pleasures yet high-yield results. It's probably not something that will speak to newer generations, but children of the 80s -- people who were, in the mid-80s, about the same age as Rad, Teddy, Stacy, and Lyle -- will likely find the movie much to their liking on nostalgia alone.

Ping Pong Summer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ping Pong Summer arrives on Blu-ray from Millennium Entertainment with a handsome 1080p transfer sourced from a grainy 16mm shoot. The transfer favors a slight warmth to the color palette, but never does it get downright hot. Instead, colors appear pleasantly even, from a blue Nike jumpsuit to the neon lights and multicolored arcade cabinets in the hangout, from flat sandy colors to loud 80s makeup. Details are nicely defined. Faces are rugged on older folks, smooth on the younger folks, and intricately textured in every close-up. Clothing lines are crisp, and even smaller textures, like the textured surface of a ping pong paddle, benefit from the 1080p resolution. Grain is rather thick but consistently so, and it's never accompanied by any debris or wear. The transfer suffers from no discernible levels of banding, blocking, or other intrusive eyesores. Overall, this is an excellent presentation from Millennium.

Ping Pong Summer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ping Pong Summer features Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music never blares. It's never shallow, either, but the deep beats that play throughout the film don't seem to strive for much more than a good, but not heavy, stage presence. They mostly remain the duty of the front speakers as well; the backs don't handle an excessive load. The track finds a nice little bit of atmospheric flavor by way of rolling beach waves and some nice enveloping club ambience in chapter eight. Dialogue delivery is smooth and focused from the center.

Ping Pong Summer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Ping Pong Summer contains a commentary track and a making-of featurette

• Audio Commentary: Director Michael Tully and Producer George Rush offer a good, entertaining commentary that covers the 80s era and making a movie that correctly captures the era. it looks at real stories that inspired parts of the film, the long journey from script writing and multiple revisions to final product, character construction, cast and performances, filming locations, music, and much more. Fans of the film will love this track.
• Lazer Beach: The Making of Ping Pong Summer (1080p, 14:02): After many serious and a few humorous cast and crew introductions, the piece transitions to a raw behind-the-scenes, on-set glimpse into the making of a scene. It then cuts back to interviews and intermixes the interviews and on-set clips for the remainder.
• Previews (1080p): Additional titles from Millennium Entertainment.

Ping Pong Summer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ping Pong Summer delivers simple pleasures wrapped in perfectly defined nostalgia. From the verbiage to the clothes and all the things that made the 80s the 80s, the film captures it all with a charming effortlessness. A basic underdog story underscores a core 80s theme and pushes the film in the right direction, giving it a little kick for the end and some conflict scattered throughout an otherwise pleasurable trip down memory lane. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Ping Pong Summer delivers a beautiful transfer sourced from a 16mm shoot, decent lossless audio, and a couple of supplements. Recommended? Doi!