Furious Balls.

Rating: 6/10 (11 September 2015)

Balls of Fury (2007): Dir: Robert Ben Garant / Cast: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, James Hong: One joke comedy about smaller factors conquering the masses. Dan Fogler plays a washed out ping-pong player recruited by FBI to go undercover at a ping-pong tournament in order to bring down his father's murderer. Funny setup becomes repetitious and perhaps too carefree in the third act. Director Robert Ben Garant throws in every martial arts joke he can but his biggest aid is the mock production that add both look and satire appeal. Fogler loses his passion only to find it again. He aims to avenge his father's death but becomes embarked upon many amusing training sessions that often place him in pain. To say that he wins the tournament and avenges his father is obvious. What works is Christopher Walken who is terrific as the underground tyrant out to create fatal tournaments for pleasure not realizing that his past is catching up to him. George Lopez as an FBI agent is a great idea but the role is pretty routine. Maggie Q plays the daughter of Fogler's blind trainer, which is to say that her existence is purely as a sexual tease with predictable results. James Hong provides much amusement as Fogler's trainer of sort, whose methods provide some of the best laughs. Well made satire of martial arts films using a harmless sport to more devastating results. Score: 6 ½ / 10