'Balls of Fury' lacks fire, boasts flimsy jokes

By: Tim Pfarr

Posted: 9/19/07

"Balls of Fury"

Rating: C

Starring: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez

Plot: Former ping-pong prodigy returns to the world of competition to help catch his father's killer: a ping-pong mob boss.

"A huge comedy with tiny balls." Yes, most of the jokes in "Balls of Fury" are just as lame as the slogan itself. While the film does have its moments, such are so few and far between that viewers are left in a constant state of boredom waiting for the next chuckle-worthy fragment.

In the film, lead character and child ping-pong star Randy Daytona (played as an adult by Dan Fogle) witnesses his father (played by Robert Patrick, best known for his role as the liquid metal man in "Terminator 2") being taken away to his imminent death after losing a bet placed on his son. The film then jumps forward to Randy's adult years where he is found performing ping-pong tricks at the Peppermill Casino in Reno, Nev. He is approached by FBI agent Ernie Rodriguez (George Lopez) and given a proposition to help bring his father's killer, ping-pong mob boss Feng (Christopher Walken), to justice by gaining entry into an invitation-only "sudden death" ping-pong tournament hosted by Feng.

Unfortunately, Daytona's journey from training to competition to climactic showdown is for the most part remarkably unfunny. Not only is it unfunny, but it tries so hard to be funny that the film actually becomes frustrating and more awkward than the time your parents found out you enjoy dressing up like Liberace when nobody's home. Viewers are only treated to silly visuals and random absurdities. The humor lies in the vein of films such as "Dodgeball" and "Zoolander" but lacks a fresh spark to distinguish itself from its contemporaries.

Written by "Reno 911" stars Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant (who also directed the film) as well as starring fan-favorite Christopher Walken, the film is surprisingly lacking. Perhaps "Balls of Fury" would have packed a heavier punch if it featured Walken as the lead. He does not appear until midway through the movie, when his presence feels more like a cameo than a major role. The film also may have benefitted from starring Lennon (who plays Karl Wolfschtagg) in a larger role as well. Then again, maybe it just needed Robert Patrick as the T-1000 instead of as Randy Daytona's father.

All in all, "Balls of Fury" is an easily forgettable film that will surely end up on Blockbuster's bargain shelf within a few weeks of its DVD release. Do yourself a favor and spend your money on something more worthwhile, like an eight-foot-tall stuffed gorilla.