"Balls of Fury"

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It was obvious from the get-go that Balls of Fury -- the Chinese Chris Walken ping-pong comedy -- wouldn't be providing much in the way of wit, drollness or sophistication. It's from the Reno 911 guys, and appears to be aping Shaolin Soccer and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. It's tracking pretty well, though -- a lot of people obviously snap-judging in its favor.

Not me, though. I'll see anything with Walken, but I suspect from the trailer I won't be able to handle Dan Fogler (School for Scoundrels), the guy with the massive pot belly and the man-beard and matted curly-squiggly hair who overacts like there's a gun to his head. Clearly coming from a much more coarse and immoderate place than Jonah Hill. No offense, but no thanks.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 16, 2007 at 5:48 PM

comment #1

caslab says ...

Man, do I hear you. Between the trailer for this thing and Good Luck Chuck that dude has been pissing me off.

Posted by caslab at August 16, 2007 6:21 PM

comment #2

le corbeau says ...

Am I the only one who confuses Good Luck Chuck with Chuck and Buck?

Probably. But all I see is Mike White as a homo retard (apologize for the un-PC description but if you've seen the movie, you know any other description would be false).

Posted by le corbeau at August 16, 2007 6:23 PM

comment #3

BurmaShave says ...

Tony-Winning Actor Dan Fogler, coarser than Jonah Hill. (I'm not being sarcastic, I just think it's sad.)

Also, I look forward to GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK CHUCK AND BUCK.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 16, 2007 6:32 PM

comment #4

EDouglas says ...

You do realize that Dan Fogler is a trained actor with a TOny award under his belt, right? Just checking...

Posted by EDouglas at August 16, 2007 6:32 PM

comment #5

Rob says ...

Just because Fogler was in the Putnam County Spelling Bee doesn't mean he's not annoying as hell.

Posted by Rob at August 16, 2007 6:35 PM

comment #6

D.Z. says ...

The only reason I'm remotely interested is it doesn't look as lame and forced as Kung Pow.

Posted by D.Z. at August 16, 2007 6:58 PM

comment #7

Josh Massey says ...

Reno 911 is hilarious, both TV show and movie. I won't see it in the theaters, but Balls of Fury is already in my Netflix queue.

Posted by Josh Massey at August 16, 2007 7:35 PM

comment #8

Wrecktum says ...

Fogler is physically ugly and I find it difficult to look at him.

Posted by Wrecktum at August 16, 2007 8:16 PM

comment #9

Wrecktum says ...

^ I mean on film. I'm sure he's a cuddly bear IRL.

Posted by Wrecktum at August 16, 2007 8:17 PM

comment #10

Cadavra says ...

Okay, I guess I'm just weird. I had no interest in seeing this UNTIL I saw the trailer. Now I'm seriously considering it.

Posted by Cadavra at August 16, 2007 9:56 PM

comment #11

christian says ...

i would only want to see james hong. otherwise, looks awful.

Posted by christian at August 16, 2007 11:54 PM

comment #12

rgmax99 says ...

Based on an article I recently read, I will see it simply to hear Walken deliver this one line:

"Gentlemen...Athletes...I now bid you toodles."

Posted by rgmax99 at August 17, 2007 12:17 AM

comment #13

Midwest Doug says ...

Criminy, now I know where I saw him. I went to Putnam Spelling Bee and saw him perform. Funny in a hammy role. The trailer looks awful. It spooled before a showing of the Simpsons movie a few weeks ago, and nobody in the audience laughed.

Posted by Midwest Doug at August 17, 2007 7:17 AM

comment #14

Sean says ...

Why hire a guy who isn't funny and then make him up to look like Judah Friedlander? Why not just hire Judah Friedlander, who is incredibly funny?

When I watched the trailer, that's what I thought.

Well, no, first I got excited that Judah Friedlander was starring in a movie. But once that passed, I was just confused.

Posted by Sean at August 17, 2007 11:26 AM

comment #15

Hallick says ...

"It spooled before a showing of the Simpsons movie a few weeks ago, and nobody in the audience laughed."

Not that they didn't dislike it anyway, but to be fair to the movie, that trailer's been running for what seems like an entire YEAR at this point. I've seen it nearly a dozen times just in theaters. I didn't laugh the last time either. Except at the "who told you to take the goddamn cricket out of my hand!?" line. That one still tickles.

Posted by Hallick at August 20, 2007 3:36 AM

comment #16