I tried the tip "vblank_mode=0 vmplayer" but it still hangs/freezes.
Finally I figured out it was due to the setting on this VM: the "Accelerate 3D graphics" option turned on (by default), after I turned it off, there is no freeze any more.
On my vmware workstation 12 player, the above option is at: "Hardware tab" --> "Display" on the left panel --> "3D Graphics".