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"Balls of Fury" is a silly but unoriginal pastiche of the sports movie genre that shoots itself in the foot by failing to stick to a single story. Both the director and star's comic timing are off, which curtails the opportunities for belly laughs. The writing is patchy, with poor characterisation ... Read review
Welcome to the underground and utterly unhinged world of clandestine ping-pong. Based on ... more
the forthcoming film, Balls of Fury DS, players take the role of washed-up pingpong champion Randy Daytona who faces an uphill battle to reclaim his once legendary skills. The FBI has recruited Randy to go undercover and bust a crime lord, who hosts an annual ping-pong tournament in which all the losers are killed. In this secret society, the competition is brutal and the stakes are high but Randy is determined to bounce back, win, and smoke out his father's killer - the evil Feng.
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Tony Dow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: John Challis, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tessa Peake-Jones, Gwyneth Strong
Advantages: Some good gags. Disadvantages: There are more misses than hits and director and star are off their game.
...it's all the table tennis balls that are flying about, which explains the various actors' proficiency at the sport. There are some rather impressive explosions and some nods to action movie conventions such as a slow-motion leap and bullet-time shots of the sport. There are also plenty of montages that show Randy's progress against his evermore ludicrous opponents. So it's a sporadically entertaining but predictable film.
The screenplay ... ...it is a riff on "The Karate Kid", where Randy has to be tutored by a wisdom-spouting sensai with unorthodox techniques. So we see him playing ping pong with wooden spoons and swatting bees with a table tennis bat to improve his speed. There are shades of super-spy spoofs like "Austin Powers" and "Get Smart", in the espionage subplot that sees Randy team up with an FBI agent. This leads to lots of obvious jokes about ... more
Former child ping pong prodigy Randy Daytona is recruited by the FBI to go undercover at the world's most dangerous underground table tennis tournament. To get to the championship he is trained by blind guru Mr Wong and his beautiful niece Maggie. Only then will he be able to face his father's killer, the deadly Feng, to seek his revenge…
Director Robert Ben Garant makes a slightly more successful return to the screen after the dreadful "Reno 911! Miami" movie with this predictable but fun sports film pastiche. As with most of its ilk, it begins with a mocked-up sports programme that shows plucky young challenger Randy Daytona about to take on his greatest challenge. This comes at the 1984 LA Olympics, so is replete with bad hair and worse clothes. The sports commentary itself is well observed and the director throws in some nice absurdities, such as English subtitles for Chinese spoken language which are followed by Chinese subtitles for English. It harks back to movies like "Airplane!" But there are more misses than hits in terms of jokes. Garant's timing is often sloppy as he lets jokes go on too long and he cuts the music so you can hear them, which makes too much of some of them. Many of the sight gags are too obvious, such as the slapstick involving blind table tennis guru Mr Wong. You know he's going to walk into things and fall down an open lift shaft.
Spoof is layered upon spoof with Bruce Lee movies featuring most heavily in both the training sequences and in the set-up of Feng's lair. Okay, it's not on an island, but it is basically the villain's den from "Enter the Dragon". Obviously the courtesans the bad guy offers are men and there are armies of men practising ping-pong when the competitors arrive, but you get the drift. Christopher's Walken is dressed like Fu Manchu by way of Ming the Merciless, causing Randy's blind mentor to ask "Does he still dress like he shops at Elton John's garage sale?"
Garant's visual style lacks finesse, probably because he cut his teeth shooting for TV. The movie looks cheap because of the grainy, muddy film stock he uses. The backdrops are either anonymous streets and alleys dressed to look like a rough part of town or cheap sets built on soundstages. Most of the money has gone into CGI, though not of the type you'd really notice - it's all the table tennis balls that are flying about, which explains the various actors' proficiency at the sport. There are some rather impressive explosions and some nods to action movie conventions such as a slow-motion leap and bullet-time shots of the sport. There are also plenty of montages that show Randy's progress against his evermore ludicrous opponents. So it's a sporadically entertaining but predictable film.
The screenplay by Garant and Thomas Lennon is nothing new. Much of it is a riff on "The Karate Kid", where Randy has to be tutored by a wisdom-spouting sensai with unorthodox techniques. So we see him playing ping pong with wooden spoons and swatting bees with a table tennis bat to improve his speed. There are shades of super-spy spoofs like "Austin Powers" and "Get Smart", in the espionage subplot that sees Randy team up with an FBI agent. This leads to lots of obvious jokes about hiding bugs up their bums and sneaking around. The reason the film fails is because it has a split focus, so it tries to make jokes at too many things without following a story. A simple underdog tale would have worked. Instead we have a strange mish-mash of two genres that needs three endings to resolve itself. It leads to uneven pacing throughout the ninety minute running time as we belly-flop between the two.
The characterisation is anaemic. Randy is a fat slob with great talent, Mr Wong is the usual harsh taskmaster played for comic effect, Maggie is a smoking hot love interest and Feng is the usual OTT villain. But there isn't enough to Randy's opponents - most of them only last for a single gag, such is the nature of the death match format. The gag ratio is high, but there are too many old jokes. For instance, a mysterious stranger appears to offer Randy the chance to compete at the tournament, but after delivering his message, he slinks back to ask for directions. The dialogue has its moments with a highlight being when Feng says to a henchman "Kill them both, we're missing Antiques Roadshow…" which wins point for sheer incongruity. Though Mr Wong's fortune cookie truisms could have been sharper "It is better to die like a tiger than live like a pussy…" is about the best.
If fat always equalled funny, then tubby Dan Fogler would be near the top of the comedy heap. Sadly that isn't the case and as Randy Daytona he's a fairly average slapstick stooge. His timing isn't great but neither is it awful, though he has a tendency to miss one joke in three by about half a beat. He looks the part with his permed wig and his girly screaming and crying are good for a couple of laughs. But he doesn't have the wit or sparkle to be among the comedy greats.
Christopher Walken is clearly having the time of his life as Feng and that's what carries the role. There's not much more to it than the ludicrous Ming the Merciless wardrobe and Walken's trademark staccato delivery, but he has good timing and a twinkle in his eye, which is enough. Thomas Lennon has an equally good time as East German ping pong champion Karl Wolfschtagg. He's all leather shorts and crotch-hugging unitards with a peroxide flat-top and chewy accent. It's a gross stereotype but an effective and recognisable one and Lennon plays the part with verve. James Hong shows he has good comic timing as the embittered Mr Wong. Maggie Q is a striking, sinewy love interest, who gets to show off her martial arts skills as the inventively named Maggie.
The original music by Randy Edelman has the measure of the movie and plays it straight. Randy's Olympic semi-final is introduced by tense, high brass and forbidding strings that play up the importance of the match. Randy's first opponent during his comeback (a tubby little man known as The Hammer) is accompanied by crunching rock guitar. Mr Wong is represented by the usual reed flutes for an inscrutable mentor. Swelling victorious strings come in at appropriate moments. Feng's lair is introduced with Chinese-style strings and flutes and plenty of military snare for his army of table tennis players. Feng himself merits his own string themes and Randy's first match in the competition is covered by frantic beats with rising brass and string motifs. The action sequences are partnered by 60s-style spy movie music replete with echoing electric guitar and brass or heroic brass and string themes that are heavy on the drums. However, I could have done without the Def Leppard end credits rock that goes on too long and fails to be funny.
"Balls of Fury" is a silly but unoriginal pastiche of the sports movie genre that shoots itself in the foot by failing to stick to a single story. Both the director and star's comic timing are off, which curtails the opportunities for belly laughs. The writing is patchy, with poor characterisation and abrupt shifts in tack. But if you're in the mood for something unashamedly daft, then there are worse things you could watch. If you don't expect anything earth-shattering or innovative, there's enough here to enjoy.
Advantages: Stupid, funny, stupidly funny and Walken Disadvantages: It is very very stupid!
Balls of Fury is one of those marmite films… you will either love it or hate it. It is very similar to the Will Ferrell/Jon Heder ice skating comedy 'Blades of Glory' in that it is very very stupid, involves a former sports champion who has lost his way and a journey to regain his honour and name… well kind of!
Randy Daytona was twelve when he was at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He was the red hot favourite for the table tennis gold and America's darling. ... ...and honour.
Ok Balls of Fury has possibly the craziest plotline of any major film that I have seen for a long time (apart from Shaolin Soccer maybe but then the Asian market is a lot more open to strange films then the UK/US it seems) but it kind of works. Far too many of the jokes fall flat but when they do work they really do work. Balls of Fury, much like Blades of Glory, really should not work in any way. It has no big star in the main part ...
Ailran 26.03.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Balls Of Fury (DVD)
Advantages: Silly humour, Easy to follow. Disadvantages: Jokes of a good quality are few and far between
I brought balls of fury after seeing an amusing trailer and it being £3 in a sale!
The Story
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Randy Daytona is a childhood genius when it come to the art of ping pong, Although making it to the 1988 olympics, a 12 year old Randy falls apart with nerves, after learning his father has placed a large bet on his winning, and looses. Randy's father was killed when he could not pay the money he owed to Su Feng, the man he placed the bet ... ...Fast forward 18 years, and Randy, now working for a very cheesy circus show doing ping pong tricks is approached by the FBI who are onto a lead to catch Su Feng. At a mysterious ping pong tournament. Randy has the skills to get into the competition and get the FBI close to Su Feng.
Meeting ping pong masters and a rather attractive daughter along the way. The journey begins.
The Characters
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Randy Daytona is played by Dan Fogler ...
chugglebunny 27.06.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Balls Of Fury (DVD)
Advantages: soundtrack Disadvantages: not enough Def Leppard tracks!
What can I say - Loved it.
I was a tad sceptical when asked to watch a film about ping pong, however, from the very first ten minutes, you find yourself howling with laughter. Randy Daytona stars as the wannabee table tennis star, who gets mixed up with a band of 'triads' to compete in thw world tournament. Christopher Walken stars as the weird looking Master, who has ways of 'eliminating' contestants from the tournament - the best one in my opinion ... ...Walken and Daytona have a play off at the end with electrically charged ping pong bats - well worth watching. If you are a Def Leppard fan of old (or even new) the soundtrack completes the film. I only wish there was a lot more if it and that the tracks went on for longer. At the end theres the out-takes and the singing from the cast- FAB ...
millycat1 17.08.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Balls Of Fury (DVD)
Advantages: can be picked up at a good price, some good comedy moments, good characters Disadvantages: could be funnier in places
I had not heard much about this movie, but the dvd was on sale at £3 at my local asda, so I thought it was probably worth a go.
It's a comedy starring Christopher Walken and Dan Fogler. The basic storyline is that Randy Daytona, a down and out child table tennis prodigy of many years ago, is persuaded by the FBI to take the sport up again to help on a secret mission. This is to help capture his father's killer and FBI target Feng. To help train ... ...a team of table tennis experts are enlisted. The leader of this is blind table tennis guru Wong and his niece Maggie (who turns out to be Randy's love interest). In the hope of an invite to Feng's master table tennis tournament Randy must prove himself on the circuit. He achieves this and gains an invite to the tournament where he meets past opponents and it literally is sudden death.....
This is a good, light film. Obviously the storyline is very ...
katherineh123 03.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Balls Of Fury (DVD)
Advantages: Great comedy moments and a fun story Disadvantages: None really
I had high hopes of this film, having seen the trailer in the cinema, and it didn't fail to disappoint. The story does seem at first a little stupid, the idea of a ping-pong ball genius who has a stumble at the Olympics, only to wind up as an adult working in a sleazy ping-pong show. His world changes when the FBI enlist his help to infiltrate an international ping-pong tournament, hosted by a notorious villian (Walken). There were many times in ... ...I loved the slap-stick humour (being a fan of Naked Gun and the classic 'Airplane'). The jokes are far from crude and the younger kids watching with us were able to enjoy the film and appreciate most of the jokes. Definitely worth watching - I watched it three times during one week and it still was enjoyable to watch each and every time! ...
marcberryman 17.06.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Balls Of Fury (DVD)
Contains moderate sex references and comic violence
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
Child prodigy Randy Daytona is forced to leave the world of table tennis competition in disgrace when he suffers defeat at the hands of an East German during the 1988 Olympics. Randy's life is a shambles until he gets recruited by a CIA agent to infiltrate a table tennis tournament to the death, run by an evil triad leader.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures UK Video Rental, UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK, UCA; CINRAM LOGISTICS (SWINDON)
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Making of BALLS OF FURY, 'The Life Of A Ball Wrangler' featurette, Alternate ending, Deleted scenes,
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Professional reviews
Review
Enter The Dragon meets Shaolin Soccer meets Dodgeball (Total Film, 17/03/2008)
DVD Description
Dan Fogler stars as table tennis child prodigy and Def Leppard-devotee Randy Daytona, whose defeat at the hands of an East German (Thomas Lennon) during the 1988 Olympics forced him leave the world of table tennis competition in disgrace. Randy's life is a shambles until he gets recruited by a CIA agent (Barry Lopez) to infiltrate an ENTER THE DRAGON-style table tennis tournament (to the death), run by an evil triad leader (Christopher Walken). First Randy needs to get back in shape; enter James Hong (BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA) as the blind table tennis master Wang and Maggie Q as his sexy, kung fu-fighting niece. While BALLS OF FURY is a consistently funny comedy it also manages to slyly infuse some intelligence and compassion into its steady stream of genre spoofing and lowbrow crotch gags (similar in that sense to Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES). Fogler has an engagingly scruffy underdog-style warmth and seems to really connect with the older pros like Walken and Hong; there's the sense everyone had a good time making this film, which carries over to the audience. Director Robert Ben Garant knows when to speed up the action and when to give his actors room to stretch out; the result is a generous spirit where all the cast is allowed to grab their share of the laughs.
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