My Take: It's only occasionally amusing.
Will Farrell made my day with two really hilarious sports comedies, TALLADEGA NIGHTS and BLADES OF GLORY. He would have made his winning streak a little stronger if he starred in BALLS OF FURY, another sports comedy that follows the same formula, but then again, even he would have read the script. As written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garrant, which I learned are among the writers of the TV show RENO 911, BALLS OF FURY is packed with every single slapstick by the book. There's a lots of shots of a guy getting hit on the crotch, Christopher Walken on drag, complements about Maggie Q's sex appeal and every single joke these guys can think up (under the PG-13 level that is!). By this point, BALLS OF FURY is a train headed for disaster. But there's something that stops it from being a total train wreck. What is it? Some of it is actually funny.
Okay, I didn't laugh all the way, but being funny alone is worth a lot these days. I expected nothing from BALLS OF FURY except that it would suck. I guess it probably helps. I expected less and less is what I got. BALLS OF FURY never ups the ante for laughs as any of the better comedies these days, but being funny alone is worth the price of admission. Okay, there's nothing especially funny about Christopher Walken in drag, or several guys getting their crotch creamed , but the movie actually finds another way to be funny in just a few moments later. It ain't for everyone, and I probably shouldn't be recommending this.
Dan Fogler is not a big comedian and, as it is shown in the film, not an especially funny one. He plays embarrassed former ping-pong champ Randy Daytona who has since given up on his glory days, until an FBI agent who shares an uncanny resemblance with George Lopez, who needs him to help out on tracking down one of FBI's Most Wanted, a crime-boss named Fang (Walken in drag), who happens to be officiating the biggest and most outrageous ping-pong tournament ever. To get back on his own two feet after years of absence, Daytona aids the teachings of ping-pong sage Master Wong (James Hong) and his hot niece Maggie (Maggie Q).
It's all antics of course, with Christopher Walken in drag and redoing every role he does on every comedy he starred in. Some of the jokes even have predictable outcomes. You know this guy's gonna get his butt kicked. You know that this guys gay. You know that someone will kiss Maggie Q (and no question whoever gets it either). The whole thing is instantly forgettable. But compared to a few other contenders, this movie is slightly passable. If it's your thing, then see it.
Rating: ** out of 5.
Will Farrell made my day with two really hilarious sports comedies, TALLADEGA NIGHTS and BLADES OF GLORY. He would have made his winning streak a little stronger if he starred in BALLS OF FURY, another sports comedy that follows the same formula, but then again, even he would have read the script. As written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garrant, which I learned are among the writers of the TV show RENO 911, BALLS OF FURY is packed with every single slapstick by the book. There's a lots of shots of a guy getting hit on the crotch, Christopher Walken on drag, complements about Maggie Q's sex appeal and every single joke these guys can think up (under the PG-13 level that is!). By this point, BALLS OF FURY is a train headed for disaster. But there's something that stops it from being a total train wreck. What is it? Some of it is actually funny.
Okay, I didn't laugh all the way, but being funny alone is worth a lot these days. I expected nothing from BALLS OF FURY except that it would suck. I guess it probably helps. I expected less and less is what I got. BALLS OF FURY never ups the ante for laughs as any of the better comedies these days, but being funny alone is worth the price of admission. Okay, there's nothing especially funny about Christopher Walken in drag, or several guys getting their crotch creamed , but the movie actually finds another way to be funny in just a few moments later. It ain't for everyone, and I probably shouldn't be recommending this.
Dan Fogler is not a big comedian and, as it is shown in the film, not an especially funny one. He plays embarrassed former ping-pong champ Randy Daytona who has since given up on his glory days, until an FBI agent who shares an uncanny resemblance with George Lopez, who needs him to help out on tracking down one of FBI's Most Wanted, a crime-boss named Fang (Walken in drag), who happens to be officiating the biggest and most outrageous ping-pong tournament ever. To get back on his own two feet after years of absence, Daytona aids the teachings of ping-pong sage Master Wong (James Hong) and his hot niece Maggie (Maggie Q).
It's all antics of course, with Christopher Walken in drag and redoing every role he does on every comedy he starred in. Some of the jokes even have predictable outcomes. You know this guy's gonna get his butt kicked. You know that this guys gay. You know that someone will kiss Maggie Q (and no question whoever gets it either). The whole thing is instantly forgettable. But compared to a few other contenders, this movie is slightly passable. If it's your thing, then see it.
Rating: ** out of 5.