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Created Apr 16, 2008 03:09PM PST • Edited Apr 16, 2008 03:09PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   Balls of fury is a silly take on the classically cliche form of the martial arts movie…replacing martial arts with ping pong in this case. Yes, the movie is ridiculous. Yes, the movie is somewhat unsubtle in its portrayal of comedy. There is one thing that Balls of fury does do with a sense of originality, however—it is funny. Balls of fury is a movie that should make you laugh at least a few times in ways that you have never laughed before.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   the acting in this is typically subpar, but outstanding in brief moments. Dan Fogler is a great choice as Randy Daytona, looking and acting suitably rumpled, aged, and angry with himself as well as everybody else. Christopher Walken is simply Christopher Walken. He is great as Master Feng, taking an absurd idea to great new heights. Maggie Q is amazing to look at, George Lopez is good as always, adn the rest of cast do OK with their roles.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

   Male starts gets this simply for the addition of Christopher Walken. He is fun to watch no matter what movie he is in and he looks to be having a ball “no pun intended” with this film. Walken is always a joy. Dan Fogler is an up and coming comedy star and this movie proves he has a great presence and great comedic chops to boot.

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

   the principal female star is Maggie Q. She may be the only actual female star, as it were. She doesn’t speak as often as some of the other stars but every word she says comes through much better than most stars from abroad. Maggie Q is terrific to look at (she really is gorgeous) yet she is also a tremendous actor.

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

   the costars are few and far between. A cameo by Reno 911 alum Kerry Kenney has a great small part in the beginning, Aisha Tyler is a presence in every scene as Mahogany, and the other small roles (there are very few female roles in this film) elevate the comedy…maybe not so much the film itself, but the comedy succeeds with the supporting cast.

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

   this supporting cast is amazing. Patton Oswalt is hilarious as the hammer, Terry Crews is great to watch as freddy fingers, jason scott lee is funny as Siu Foo, and Diedrach Bader is good as Gary. the best goes to Thomas Lennon as Karl Wolfschtagg. His role is simply hilarious and every moment he is on screen makes me laugh.

10. Film

    Good 3.0

    Comedies aren’t exactly known for their production values, but Balls of fury does very well with its smaller budget. The production design is tremendous, effortlessly recreating a Chinese temple for the amusement of the film. the direction is effortlessly decent, with Ben Garant handling the duties. the cast is great and handles the humor well. Overall this is a fairly decent production for a smaller budget comedy, but you’d never know.

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

    Comedy directors have a simple job: hold the camera on the funny man and let him be funny. It is rare that a comedy director does anything different from that normalcy. Ben Garant follows the formula in many ways, but does take the time to change it up with longer pauses for humor, some different cutaways, and in some cases lingering much longer than necessary to make the scene all the more funny. He does a great job as a comedy director and i hope to see more of him soon.

12. Play Very Good 3.5

    the dialogue is cheesy in a way that works, being that it is a comedy about ping pong set in a world revolving around kung fu movies. sometimes it gets a little preposterous, but the comedy talents of the stars and co-stars makes it stand on its feet. Some moments are laugh out loud funny, while some parts are more subtle in that they only generate a smirk or smile. Not a perfectly constructed comedy, but one that is unapologetic in the same respect.

13. Music Good 3.0

    the music is classic sports hero music, elevated with a slight element of that kung fu movie element that i spoke about. the music works in many respects, but sometimes it calls for a bit more. Other times, it brings out the big guns and brings us some classic Def Leppard, notably in the end where the entire cast sings “pour some sugar on me” and looks to be having a real blast making the film.

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5

    There are not a lot of special effects in this movie, as it is not exactly a larger budget extravaganza film, but when you watch the scenes of ping pong, you will notice the ball itself is a special effect, and it is done well. Other effects include the production design and makeup, which is also done very well.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.9

    This is a fairly safe film to watch. the most you will see in this film would be the occasional sexual innuendo, a few references to homosexuality but done in a humorous manner, and some minor violence in the form of death. The death, by the way, is also handled quite comedically. all in all this is a safe film to watch with almost any age.

17. Sex Innocent 1.5

    There is no sex, only a little bit implied. the implication is so small in fact that it is a passing reference in one scene by Diedrich Bader and then in the next scene you only hear a person speak about having a great time. There are some homosexual references and a growing romance but that is all nothing to worry about. this movie is mostly innocent.

18. Violence Fierce 2.1

    the only violence in this movie comes from the ping pong, and yes I know that is a funny thing to say. the ping pong is treated as if a sparring competition in fighting, but it is only table tennis..which is what makes it so funny. Death is seen in this movie but once again it is handled in such a light manner that it really passes right by.

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

    there is very little rudeness in this movie save for the occasional appearance of some rude activities like some violence, comedic death, or a joke that may seem a little rude. the PG-!3 rating is earned for content. but by accounts this movie is tame compared to a lot of comedies these days.

21. Reality

    Fantasy 4.2

    this is a movie about a secret underground ping pong tournament that takes idea from Bloodsport, Enter the Dragon, and many others. It’s a kung fu movie by way of table tennis. this movie is utterly ridiculous but it laughs at itself as well. Comedies are never intended to be involved in true displays of realism anyway, so most of the more idiotic conceits are glossed over in the name of hoping the audience is having a good time. there really isn’t a whole lot more to say about a movie that included a 60 year white man masquerading as a Chinese Grand Master of Ping Pong…or as the Chines say, “Ping Pong”.

22. Circumstantial Fantasy 4.2

23. Biological Fantasy 4.2

24. Physical Fantasy 4.2