Year of the Yao was a spectacular movie. While most fans who have follow Yao's path from China to America would not learn much new information, the way the film captured the intensity of the time was magnificent. All that pressure that Yao was facing at the time became so tangible when watching the movie - seeing Yao carry the dreams of an entire nation as he came into the NBA. All in all, the movie was very inspirational. The numerous hardships Yao had to endure, from the expectations of his homeland to his first few extraordinary clumsy games to the match up with the "Shaq" instills us a sense of possibility, of how people can rise to any challenges and win.

I found the movie quite entertaining, and also informative. Funny, but entertaining. Cleverly done, and well-written. Too bad this film focused only on Yao Ming's rookie season and not his other succeeding seasons. And because it focused on his freshman year only, it kind of gave the film an 'old' feel, not exactly up-to-date. After all, we're in 2005, and Yao entered the NBA in 2002. Still, I'd have to say this documentary was one heck of a ride. I also liked the way the guys behind the making of this film, gave it a really personal touch, not just portraying Yao as the basketball player, but also portraying Yao as a person. But my favorite part of the movie was when Charles Barkley had to 'kiss' some donkey's posterior live on TV, as part of the bet he had against fellow TV commentator Kenny Smith that Yao could never score even 19 points in a single game. As an NBA fan, naturally I would tend to like the movie. But I liked the movie, period. Coz it's fun. Really nice.

I thought that overall this was a great movie. And that's coming from a guy who doesn't know much of anything when it comes to basketball. Both people who know basketball and those who don't will enjoy this film. It's not only about basketball, in fact, not very much so but more about the life and the transition from China to the US for Yao Ming. It's a great story and the way the story was told makes it much more exciting than your average documentary. You're really able to get into the movie and get a glimpse of what Yao' life was like for him in his first year in the NBA. Again, this is a great movie that's not only intended for basketball fans but anyone really.

Year of the Yao was a nice peak into the world of Yao Ming, as well as the life of an NBA player in general. The ribbing between Yao Ming and his teammate Cuttino Mobley is amusing, and the fact that Yao speaks in proverbs at times is funny, if only for it being unintentionally stereotypical.Yao comes off as an amazingly humble, gentle man, who deserves all the success in the world, and who you actually want to see overcome these tremendous hurdles placed in front of him.The finish is almost anti-climatic, with the Rockets failing to qualify as the 8th seed in the playoffs, but the goodbye between Yao Ming and his interpreter (and friend) Colin Pine is a touching moment. The game footage is entertaining, especially if you're a Rockets fan, and I defy anyone to come away from this movie without tremendous respect and adoration for Yao Ming. From casual fan to NBA fanatic, I think every viewer will find something enjoyable in this movie.