Juvenile humor galore can’t stop the fact that Balls of Fury is a fantastic little bit of escapism to be found at the movies. Mocking nearly every martial arts, action and sports genre convention created in a tight 90 minutes, the guys who brought us Reno 911 and Night at the Museum have done it yet again with a laugher that is bound to send audiences out of the theater proclaiming their love for Balls....of Fury.

Recruited by the FBI, the down on his luck, former professional ping-pong player Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) must pick up the paddle yet again, not only for pride, but to help the government hunt down a notorious mobster, Feng (Christopher Walken). Feng, who just happens to be responsible for the death of Randy’s father, lets his ostentatious taste for the sport of ping-pong show by sponsoring a yearly tournament of champions. Determined to get Randy a seat in the match, Agent Ernie Rodriquez (George Lopez) employs the help of the wisest ping-pong player in all of Orange County, Master Wong (James Hong). Together with his niece Maggie (Maggie Q), Wong shapes Randy into one of his finest pupils, second only to the one student who never completed his tutelage under the revered master, Feng himself!

The collaborative minds of Robert Ben Garant and Tom Lennon have certainly bounced back with Balls of Fury after the train wreck that was Reno 9-11: Miami. While their previous big-screen jaunt felt like several episodes of their hit television program strung together, Balls of Fury is a grand cinematic adventure with high production values. Whether the action is set against the seedier parts of China Town or the extravagant jungles surrounding Feng’s mansion, one thing is for sure, a lot of cash was poured into Balls of Fury, and Garant takes advantage of every penny. Sweeping camera movements flawlessly move past some of the most visually popping ping-pong you will ever see put on screen, and the razzle-dazzle style which seamlessly integrates slow motion only adds to the uproarious nature of the piece.

Unlike other recent sports comedies that have been drowning theaters since Dodgeball, Balls of Fury offers more than the phenomenal, whiz-bang ping-pong action. The film is also packed with martial arts, kicks to the groin, gun shots and big ol’ explosions. There isn’t much that Garant and Lennon didn’t cram into this project, and the manic pace never lets you second guess the ridiculous nature of it all.

However, all testicular joking aside when it comes to the laughs in Balls of Fury there is one thing that the picture is certainly lacking, and that is…..well….balls. It was obvious from Reno 9-11: Miami that this duo enjoys the freedom of an R-rated picture, using the liberties it provides to develop innovative, raunchy humor. On the other hand, Balls of Fury plays it relatively safe. The movie features by-the-numbers comedy, with only a few spurts of inspiration. One could only imagine the ludicrous content the title alone would have inspired these two to create with a harder rating.

Even though much of the comedy is old hat, playing off well worn genre staples, Balls of Fury is consistently funny the whole way through. In fact even though the film doesn’t push the comedic abilities of Garant and Lennon to their limits, Balls of Fury was a great exercise in storytelling for the filmmakers. The simple story is bizarrely compelling, showing a great deal of improvement in both the duo’s writing and directing.

With zany performances, exotic locations, big action and tiny balls, Balls of Fury is a giant leap forward for Ben Garant in his directorial career. As childish as the concept and humor may initially seem, Balls of Fury is a fun popcorn piece that succeeds in doing what it was made to, entertain.

-Joe Russo

CLICK HERE to read our exclusive interview with Robert Ben Garant, Tom Lennon and Dan Fogler!