About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Balls of Fury is a big, dumb comedy that spoofs films from Enter the Dragon to Karate Kid while putting a new spin on the sport of ping pong. The major selling point of Balls of Fury is that it never for a minute takes itself seriously. Oscar-winner - and the most imitated man in Hollywood - Christopher Walken even stoops to doing a parody of himself in this slapstick affair from the creative minds behind Reno 911!.

How much you'll enjoy Balls of Fury depends solely on whether you're into juvenile humor, groin shots, and pratfalls.

Pros

• A totally goofy comedy requiring no brain power to enjoy
• The ping pong CG effects are fantastic
• Pokes fun at half a dozen easy targets and occasionally scores laughs
• Christopher Walken in flamboyaunt villain attire...enough said

Cons

• Even with just a 90 minute running time, the jokes wear thin

Description

• Starring Christopher Walken, Dan Fogler, Thomas Lennon, Maggie Q, James Hong, and Aisha Tyler
• Rated PG-13 for crude and sex-related humor, and for language
• Written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant
• Directed by Robert Ben Garant
• Theatrical Release Date: August 29, 2007

Guide Review - Balls of Fury Movie Review

The Story

Young Randy Daytona is a ping pong king. Adored by thousands and the toast of the ping pong universe, Randy's on the verge of being crowned the world's greatest player when he chokes big time at the Olympics. Losing the pivotal match results in the murder of his father who bet it all on the game.

Fast-forward 19 years and Randy (Dan Fogler) is a has-been performing a Vegas-style ping pong lounge act to unenthusiastic lunch crowds in a dingy restaurant. Approached by FBI Agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) to assist in taking down underworld leader Feng (Walken), Randy gets a shot at redeeming himself and a chance to exact revenge on the man responsible for his dad's murder.

The Cast

Fogler shows some real talent in his first feature film starring role, but it's James Wong as a blind ping pong master and the normally restrained Maggie Q as Randy's love interest who provide the film's most memorable moments. Walken's over-the-top Feng comes across as an extended Saturday Night Live skit that didn't know when to end, yet it's funny just because it's Walken uttering the utterly silly lines.

To Sum It Up

The action's wild and the gags come fast and furiously in Balls of Fury. Plus, it's one of the few comedies featuring a gaggle of male sex slaves and music by Def Leppard. While it doesn't break any new comedy ground and you can see much of the film's best moments in trailers and video clips, the action sequences are absolutely top notch and there are genuinely hilarious moments scattered throughout the movie. In fact, the lightning fast ping pong action in Balls of Fury might even convince you to not just channel surf past the sport when it pops up on TV.

GRADE: B-/C+