Hysterical "Balls"

Rating: 8/10 (5 September 2007)

Academy Award Winner Christopher Walken stars as the evil Feng in "Balls of Fury". That's about the closest in context to an Academy Award that "Balls of Fury" will ever get. This is an absurd role choice for Walken, who is painfully funny. Director and Writer Robert Ben Garant's "Balls of Fury" is low budget, cheesy, and just stupid funny. "Balls of Fury" is hysterical and laugh out loud funny. Garant along with co-writer and star Thomas Lennon demonstrate their own pairs when it comes to take no prisoners comedy. Granted a lot of their rapid fire jokes veer off target, but quite often they land without mercy. There is a classic line as ping pong Master Wong (James Hong) advises his charge Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler), "It is better to die like a tiger, than to live like a pussy" "Balls of Fury" has its moments of clever genius. Keep in mind, Garant and Lennon's art is shameless camp.
"Balls of Fury" is a blatant parody of Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon". Instead of the villainous Han holding an exclusive martial arts tournament on his island off the coast of China inviting the world's best martial artists, we have the evil Feng (Walken) holding a ping pong tournament at his compound somewhere in Central America inviting the world's best ping pong players. This is a ping pong tournament to the death. We are vividly reminded of this from the "Balls" trailer. The ping pong tournament is apparently a cover for Feng's nefarious business activity. FBI Agent Ernie Rodriquez (comedian George Lopez) believes that if he can get a man to infiltrate Feng's Tournament, he could expose the operation. That man would be Randy Dayton (Dan Fogler).
Randy Daytona was America's darling kid hopeful for Olympic ping pong Gold at the Seoul Games of 1988. During his semifinal match with whacked out German Champion Karl Wolfschtagg (over the top funny Thomas Lennon), Randy experiences a catastrophic collapse. He never recovers. Now 19 years later, Randy is performing ping pong dinner theatre in Reno. Randy reluctantly enrolls in Ernie's covert mission. Feng may have been the man responsible for Randy's father's death, so for Randy this is also a mission of vengeance. However, it is unclear for Randy himself or the audience. Randy clearly is no longer the Olympic competitor he once was; thus, he must train with revered ping pong master and Chinese restaurant owner Master Wong (hysterical Hong). Master Wong is blindpart of his enlightened charm. Wong also risks his livelihood and reputation by taking on "round eye" as his student. Wong's hot niece Maggie (beautiful Maggie Q) helps instruct Randy in the Way of Ping Pong. Maggie is also a deadly martial artist as demonstrated in a hilarious beat down of wannabe gropers. Feng too, may have been responsible for Maggie's father's death.
Feng was Master Wong's best student. Now this is Randy Daytona's time. Will Randy dig deep down, and discover that 'it is not the paddle, but the man'? Will he fall in love with Maggie? Will he reclaim his inherent greatness at Feng's Tournament? Well, part of the inexplicable charm of "Ball of Fury" is its predictability, and its off the wall gags. There is a side splitting joke about Feng's sex slaves that features the great Diedrich Bader. And Randy's match with the notorious Dragon is hilarious.
The bizarre casting completes "Balls of Fury"'s glorious camp. As mentioned before, Christopher Walken is hysterical. He carries off the Elton John Captain Fantastic couture like a champ. Walken plays the role totally straight. His aloof cool is deadly. This is the first time I have ever seen Dan Fogler. Fogler is short, fat, goofy, and not at all athleticthe perfect antithesis of a Bruce Lee hero. This makes perfect sense. Fogler is naturally funny and self absorbed. He has impeccable timing and delivery. Maggie Q is deadly sexy as Maggie. She displays an effortless touch for broad comedy, and has star presence. She is great. James Hong is completely hilarious as blind Master Wong. He is so over the top funny with some of the movie's best lines. Terry Crews makes a masterful ridiculous turn as defending U.S. ping pong champion. Even Jason Scott Lee ("Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story") turns up in "Balls".
"Balls of Fury" is not a cinematic tour de force by any means. But for what it is, a stupid funny movie, "Balls" delivers. "Balls of Fury" is laugh out loud funny, and fun to say.