DVD REVIEW

Balls of Fury

Universal Studios Home Entertainment || PG-13 || Dec 18, 2007

Synopsis

When former professional table tennis phenomenon Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) is recruited by FBI agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) for a mission in the unsanctioned, underground and utterly unhinged world of extreme table tennis, he’s determined to bounce back to his former glory and smoke out his father’s killer, the arch-fiend Feng (Christopher Walken). But with danger coming from every angle, will Randy be able to keep his eye on the balls?


Critique

Randy is a hot shot ping pong phenom, a 12-year-old enfant terrible of the table tennis scene, going for the gold at the ’88 Seoul Olympic Games. There is no reason Randy should lose … until his father (Robert Patrick) lets slip that he has money on the match just before Randy is about to play. No pressure, kid. Randy is just distracted enough to blow the match, and the Triads are just mad enough at the loss to kill Sergeant Daytona. With his father dead, Randy returns to the United States to a life of shame.

The scene in Reno, showing where Randy’s life has taken him, is hilarious. David Koechner, who is brilliant in just about everything he does, is great in a so-bad-it’s-good wig and performing a duet with a parrot. Randy puts on the real show, showing off his acrobatic paddling skills. Of course, the idyllic existence cannot last, and Randy is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate the underground world of table tennis and bring down arch enemy Feng.

Balls of Fury is straight-faced, and the film follows the basic structure of a kung-fu movie. Enter the Dragon is an obvious inspiration, as is Bloodfist (or any number of Don “The Dragon” Wilson movies, for that matter), and any number of other movies. What the movie follows is not any specific film so much as a basic template: the brutal training sessions, the back alley competition, the danger that comes in simply training for such an event.

Christopher Walken makes the film work. He plays Feng, and he plays his scenes with such an intensity. Walken is clearly enjoying himself, playing into the caricature of himself that has been created over the years. Feng’s fortified Central American compound is wired to blow at the first sign of trouble (of course), and it is the scene of the big tournament, the single elimination, sudden death tournament that Randy must infiltrate.

The tournament is a lot of fun. Randy meets a male sex slave played by Diedrich Bader in one funny scene (“If I knew I was going to end up a sex slave, I never would have gone to that audition in Orlando”), and Randy ends up playing with one arm in a sling. (One of the best, most subtle jokes in the film. Randy’s favorite band is Def Leopard, the 80’s supergroup whose drummer had only one arm.) Of course, the FBI eventually shows up, and all hell breaks loose.

If anything, Balls of Fury suffers from being too understated. Dan Fogler is good as Randy Daytona, but he is nearly lost in scenes when he should be the most charismatic guy in the movie. His character is very quiet, and too much is left to the supporting players. But the jokes work, even the obvious ones, and the enthusiastic cast makes the movie a lot of fun.


Video

Balls of Fury is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio. The photography is fairly straightforward, and the presentation is sharp. The film’s Earth tones are nicely translated, and the black and white levels are sharp. The overall picture is crisp and well represented.


Audio

This disc offers tracks in English, French and Spanish, all in Dolby Digital 5.1. This is not the most complicated soundtrack you’re going to come across, but the presentation is sharp, and channels are crisp and well balanced.


Special Features

Deleted Scenes: exactly that. We have get seven of them.

Alternate Ending: a bit awkward, and it’s probably better that they went with the ending they did, but this is worth a look.

Balls Out: The Making of Balls of Fury: spelled how it sounds, this is a detailed look at the evolution of the film. The cast and crew are obviously having a good time.

Under the Balls: The Life of a Ball Wrangler: an amusing piece about the film’s ball wrangler, the girl tasked with making sure the balls were well taken care of on the set.


Final Thoughts

Balls of Fury is a funny film, understated but amusing. We see a lot of the jokes coming, but the cast is clearly aiming to please. The bonus material is entertaining, but there is not much of it. The film is definitely good for a laugh and worth a look.

VERDICT: RENT IT

 

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Review posted on Jan 21, 2008 | Share this article | Top of Page

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