They didn't even ask us our names. I strolled in with RMTex and my buddy like we were supposed to be there and no one said a word. I liked the movie a lot, but I wonder how much of that is due to two things. 1) I'm a diehard Rockets fan and 2) on a smaller scaled, I'm an NBA fan. I think this movie could appeal to many who don't fit into the same category as me, but I wonder how bored they'll get with the basketball parts. Those scenes were anti-climatic to me since I knew the outcomes of not only those games, but the rest of the season as well. I was pleasantly surprised by the focus on the relationship between Yao and Colin Pine. However, I think this movie should be promoted heavily by the NBA. In a time where many people believe (mistakingly, may I add) that the league is full of nothing but thugs and selfish bastards, this film shows a humble man who is taking all this publicity in stride, without his head getting too big. I think the NBA would do well to focus on this image and add some of the newer stars as well such as Lebron and Dwayne Wade. Thanks so much Clutch!
I want to think about my "official" review for a bit, but here are a few highlights... Be careful, there are a few nuggets in this that could qualify as "spoilers" even though there weren't any real surprises in the film. I particularly enjoyed the beginning sequence with all of the images of the world that Yao left behind on his journey to Houston. China could not be more different from the US and it shows in that opening sequence. Even the gaudy neon seems a bit more civilized when it is used to accent the lines of the Chinese architecture. A particularly poignant moment in the opening sequence was of a youngster dribbling a basketball while walking on the Great Wall. That was a fantastic shot. Yao's grace and humor showed throughout the entire movie, as did the enormous pressure he was under in his rookie year. Even after he told Colin "no more autographs" at one point, he still stopped to sign one more for a kid who approached him. At one point, Colin asked if Yao would like him to carry Yao's shoes and Yao responded (paraphrase) "no, I have to 'cause I'm still a rookie." The shots of all the people in Yao's face all the time were mind boggling. Every city had HUGE press conferences with dozens of microphones, reporters, and cameras. Everywhere Yao went, there were throngs of people asking for autographs and pictures, he couldn't even go to Best Buy without the employees asking to take a picture with him. My favorite shot of all was during the Apple commercial shoot with Vern(e?) Troyer. At one point, Troyer says to Yao "You have a huge head" in Chinese. Yao cracked up, as did the theater. I, like some others, wonder who taught Troyer how to say that. Overall, it was quite entertaining and I believe it would be for anyone who enjoys basketball. Some of Yao's best plays from his rookie season were on the big screen, as were some of his worst, including Marbury's crossover that knocked Yao on his a$$. EDIT: Thank you so much for the chance to see this film, Clutch.
I ended up partying a bit too hard after the movie was over, but I'll put up a proper review tonight. Until then, I'll just say that there's nothing in this movie that hardcore Rockets fans aren't already going to be quite familiar with. I'm sure we all remember that season rather well. Those hoping this film will give them a better look at who Yao Ming is, personally, are probably going to be disappointed. Through two hours devoted to him, Yao manages to maintain his personal privacy, which comes off as extremely important to him. We know he likes to joke around, we know he's driven to succeed in the NBA, but Yao keeps most of his thoughts, opinions and emotions to himself. Yao is very protective of his private life and is very careful about the image he projects publicly. The mental stress he was under that season was simply unbelievable, and China (and the Rockets) were very lucky that they got a special person in Yao who was perfectly suited to undergo the transition between cultures and prosper. Still, the season really took it's toll on the guy and he was definitely ready to head back to China in the summer. I know we all clamor for the guy to stay over here to train in the offseason and everything, but seeing how ready he was ready to get on that plane after his rookie year, it seems like the guy really wanted to recharge his batteries back home. More recently we've heard that Yao now considers Houston as much home as Shanghai, so maybe that's changed, but China's in no danger of losing their boy. I think he'll always return, and he should feel free to make that choice.
I just left the theatre and I must say that movie was awesome. Anyone that is a basketball fan, a Rockets fan, or a Yao fan will thoroughly enjoy this movie. It is a nice window into the this guys life and it was well done. I highly recommend it.
Okay, I have a question for those of you who have seen it. I don't know if it will even be shown here in College Station, but I hope so, and if it is, I was thinking of taking my 5 year old son to it, since he is a huge Yao Ming fan too. So, I know it's rated PG and all, but is there anything in it that's really inappropriate for children? I know that's kind of subjective, but I guess really the question is, is there anything said in it that I wouldn't want my son to be repeating at school? (Besides Chuck Barkley saying "I'll kiss Kenny's ass" because I know that's in there. )
Man, you were there? I was looking around for posters I knew and completely missed you, Toast and andymoon. I recognized Omega Supreme and stopped him in the parking lot to say hi. He had a badass shirt on.
I just saw the movie and loved it! Sometimes I think us Rocket fans have to remind ourselves how lucky we are to have Yao playing for us, just a tremendous young man as well as his basketball skills. For those who called Yao soft or a more vulgar term, go check out the movie , maybe it will shed some new perspective on how you view Yao(or maybe not). One of my favorite scenes was at the trainer's table, Yao was getting some work done on his foot and CD was telling Yao through Collin they're gonna used the Stim unit(electrical stimulation) on Yao. Collin explained to Yao"They're gonna put electricity in your body" Yao made a face like:ELECTRICITY! Somebody asked Yao what do they used in China and Yao said small needles, Collin tried to teach Yao the word"acupunture" and after several attempts, Yao said the word and he spoke English to one of the players"Try it, it's very nice!"
I enjoyed it more when, in the movie, Cuttino was sitting next to Yao and some others in the locker room. Cuttino was saying something to the affect of "Man, did you guys hear that song they were singing? " This was the when the song started to get popular.......he goes on with "Yeah, people are stupid........." The theater got a laugh out of that, especially after the one guy had tried to start the song a few times. Great movie. Thanks Chance! I didn't know who the VIP seats were for...it would have been nice to sit there.
Just watched it , missed the opening part....stupid traffic. My tidbit that I noticed was that to me, in the few scenes he had, Kobe came across as too kissy @ss to Yao, knowing full well that Kobe is too much of an aloof loner to really embrace someone for the first time. Seems like someone was trying to make a good first impression to Yao there, a little PR work for Yao to think about. Not trying to start that Yao to the Lakers crap again, but Kobe's body language was telling at least to me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but to me Kobe is too much of a manipulator to be just genuinely nice.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3136911 Local moviegoers give Yao movie a thumbs up By ANNE MARIE KILDAY Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle The sport has been used as a metaphor for love, ballet and the triumph of the human spirit. Now, the story of Yao Ming's rookie year with the Houston Rockets has become a movie about world cooperation. Through basketball. Moviegoers who saw "The Year of the Yao" on opening day at area theaters Friday almost universally gave it two thumbs up. But they all, admittedly, are nuts about basketball. Even at 7'6'', Yao has come to show that basketball is a sport played with the strength of the legs and the tips of the fingers, with quick turns and pirouettes, in the universal language known as "nothing but net." Mara Blinachich, 24, who hasn't missed a Rockets game in years, said she "just had to be here" at the Angelika Film Center when the film opened. "Like lot of fans, I had my doubts about Yao when he first got here...Of course, he's become a real team leader now," Blinachich said. "The move is also very emotional." Friday was proclaimed "The Year of the Yao Day" in Houston by Mayor Bill White. Councilmember Adrian Garcia presented that proclamation to Yao's interpreter and friend, Colin Pine, whose relationship with the towering center is the heart of the movie. Jeromie Sequitin, caught the first screening of the movie after classes at Strake Jesuit High School. "I thought it was a really good movie. It really is a lot about friendship," Sequitin said. "But it was the basketball that I liked. That was really exciting." As Yao's friendship with Pine blossomed during that tough rookie year, the Chinese superstar found his footing on the hardwoods of the National Basketball Association. Rosa Guerrero said that part of the movie "moved me to tears." Dolores Dunham viewed the movie with family members who also are Rockets fans. "Basketball is such a great sport, but that man had to, not only get the basket in there, but the hopes of his parents, the hopes of his school, and the hopes of China," Dunham said. "It was almost too much pressure." Fayver Finke said the battle between Yao and former Los Angeles Laker Shaquille O'Neal also spotlighted the cultural journey from China to the tough world of professional sports in America. "That whole sequence demonstrates the battle of the Rockets rookie joining the NBA," Finke said. Yao, meanwhile, wasn't working Friday night, as the Rockets had the night off. The Houston premiere is taking place two weeks ahead of the rest of the nation.
http://houstonpress.com/issues/2005-04-14/film/film.html Yao More than Ever The big guy in the middle can take charge of a movie, too BY MELISSA LEVINE feedback@houstonpress.com It seems unlikely that any American outside of a cloistered, sports-averse, PBS-watching film reviewer would have failed to notice the 2002 arrival of Yao Ming, the seven-foot-six gentle giant also known as China's national basketball hero and, in the United States, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft -- especially since, immediately after his plane landed, Yao appears to have dominated sports coverage for months on end. So, let me begin by saying that I'm sorry I didn't know who he was, though I had noticed a very tall Chinese man in a commercial, asking if he could write a check. Next, please allow me to assure you that now, after having seen The Year of the Yao, a delightful, warmhearted documentary about Yao's first season with the Houston Rockets, I love him just as much as everybody else does. And I've got company. Apparently, China has about as many basketball fans as America has people -- 270 million -- and almost all of them love Yao. Stateside, he's charmed us by the hordes, inspiring songs, cheers, bobbleheads, advertising campaigns, thousands of Web sites and, most important, people. Americans feel good about Yao. They respect him and his obvious work ethic, and of course they're blown away by his stature. Mysterious though Yao may be (he seems shy and modest even at his most comfortable), he inspires abundant goodwill. And after an hour and a half in his virtual company, it's no surprise. That boy's got class. In The Year of the Yao, directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo (the latter of whom admits, incidentally, to a relative lack of interest in sports) follow their subject through his first seven months on American soil. The film begins as Yao leaves China and ends as he returns to the mainland for the off-season. In between, we watch as the world-famous recruit is thrust into a maelstrom of culture shock, media attention and intense professional pressure and, remarkably, avoids a psychotic break. Yao misses the Rockets' rookie orientation and must attempt to assimilate their plays, jargon, drills, routines and slang in a matter of weeks, all in a foreign language and with great expectations -- from both the Rockets and the people of China. One of the great things about The Year of the Yao is that it has not merely one hero but two. In fact, the film is really the story of two rookies, both Yao and his translator, Colin Pine, a charmingly green twentysomething equally stunned by the blinding headlights of obsessive media attention. Committed to easing his client's transition, Pine introduces Yao to the fundamentals of American culture: video games, road rage and shopping. Pine also supports Yao emotionally, offering him encouragement during his initial struggle. The directors make a wise choice in using Pine's lengthy interview as a voice-over through much of the film. His narration is graceful and kind, never exposing anything private about Yao and instead focusing on his own experience of their first seven months together. Because of Pine's presence, The Year of the Yao deepens considerably, portraying a real friendship between two young men -- a relationship forged quietly amid a deafening storm of distraction. The mutual respect and gratitude are clear and, well, heartwarming. That Yao has such a loyal American companion is a comfort to anyone who worries, about two-thirds of the way into the film, about the player's increasingly furrowing brow and sinking shoulders. The severely taxing schedule seems to be doing him in, and it's hard to watch -- but at least he has Colin. Another bonus of The Year of the Yao is the access inside an NBA team. We're shown quite a bit of what happens behind the scenes with the Rockets -- at the practices, in the locker room, as the players sit around yapping and getting "stim" (electric stimulation) on their muscles and nerves. At least on camera, Yao's teammates show surprising sensitivity toward him, giving him room to adjust and grow. One Rocket even waits to good-naturedly tease Yao until he's sure that teasing exists in China, too. Sure, it's a tad ignorant, but respectful nonetheless. Clearly, Yao's teammates like him, and they understand his humility and initial lack of aggression to be cultural differences -- though the latter issue must be addressed. In a great moment, one player explains to then-coach Rudy Tomjanovich that they've got to teach Yao how to enter "kill" mode. The Year of the Yao doesn't exactly have a story arc, but it does have dramatic highs and lows: Yao's first NBA game, in which he bombed, followed by his first game against then-Laker superstar Shaquille O'Neal, in which Yao triumphed. Between the sweet story of his friendship with Colin and the thrilling displays of his talent on the court, The Year of the Yao is eminently watchable. It goes by in a flash.
