Synopsis
This documentary captures not only the Chinese hero who arrived in America with no command on English, but also the simple guy who lives with his mother and likes hanging out with friends.
Scores
Overall Score
31.8
Popularity Percentile (Year)
24.1%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
20.3%
Review Aggregate
69.3
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 69% of 32 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize historical, lighthearted, political. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
historicallightheartedpoliticalcharacter-drivenemotionalvisually striking
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yao Ming | 2005 | $1,000 | $2,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score67.0
RT critic review count33
Rotten Tomatoes audience score70.0
RT audience rating count1,000
IMDb rating7.2
IMDb votes1,183
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2005 | $35,591 | $57,168 |
| International | 2005 | $2,994 | $4,809 |
| Worldwide | 2005 | $38,585 | $61,977 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2005 | $18,993 | $30,508 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2005 | $51,000 | $81,919 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2005 | $8,000 | $12,850 |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2005 | $2,823,000 | $4,534,435 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2005 | $6,778,000 | $10,887,141 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2005 | $52,800 | $84,810 |
| Total Revenues | 2005 | $9,731,793 | $15,631,662 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2005 | $176,000 (est) | $282,699 (est) |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2005 | $80,000 (est) | $128,500 (est) |
| Participations | 2005 | $389,000 | $624,830 |
| Residuals ? | 2005 | $707,000 | $1,135,616 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2005 | $35,200 | $56,540 |
| Total Expenses | 2005 | $1,387,200 | $2,228,186 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2005 | $8,344,593 | $13,403,476 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Hoop Dreams | 1994 | Shared genres: 5 | 63.1 | $39,486,652 |
 | The Heart of the Game | 2006 | Shared genres: 5 | 49.7 | $22,493,613 |
 | Through the Fire | 2006 | Shared genres: 5 | 49.3 | $7,716,176 |
 | More Than a Game | 2009 | Shared genres: 5 | 48.7 | $21,593,292 |
 | The Other Dream Team | 2012 | Shared genres: 5 | 45.8 | $10,394,228 |