BALLS OF FURY
US, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q., James Hong, Terry Cruise, Robert Patrick, Diedrich Bader, Cary- Hirouky Tagawa, Jason Scott Lee.
Directed by Robert Ben Garrant.
Silly but often funny in a broad sense.
This is a film about ping pong but some of the fastest ping pong you will see. It opens with a world tournament where Randy Daytona is a champion but who is knocked out (literally) and his father is killed for gambling debts to the mysterious Chinese gangster, Feng. Poor Randy is reduced to playing in old people’s homes where the residents chomp their meals without looking at him.
Taking a cue from the Eddie Murphy espionage film, I Spy, where a sports personality is used by secret agencies, the film has Randy (now played by chubby Jack Blackish style actor, Dan Fogler, the unbearably crass friend in Good Luck Chuck) recruited by the FBI to become a champion again and get an invitation to a sudden death tournament (the sudden death for losers is literal from a blowpipe) so that the FBI can track and arrest Feng.
Since this film is in the Blades of Glory tradition, expected crises and pratfalls regularly occur which offer some amusement. However, when Feng is revealed, the film perks up because it is Christopher Walken looking as if he were auditioning for The Mikado – and someone asks him whether he got his outfits from an Elton John garage sale. Walken plays it in his usual style but the incongruity of his character, his offhand remarks, his glee in ping pong, his deadly getting rid of competitors all means that this is a performance that will have to be included in any retrospective of his career.
Veteran James Hong (whom most viewers will recognise but not be able to name) has a substantial role as Randy’s blind teacher (lots of obvious jokes there as well). Maggie Q is vigorous as his niece.
Probably best watched on DVD with a group – which is in a silly mood to appreciate the humorous nonsense.
1.A film that is both amusing and silly?
2.The ping-pong setting, the world tournament, the matches, the speed with which the players played? The entertainment for elderly people? The school run by Wong? Maggie and her skills? Randy and his return to the ping-pong world? The local championships and his defeat? Feng and the invitations to his sudden-death championship? Games? The finale and Randy versus Feng? Audience interest in the ping-pong?
3.The ordinary settings, the old people’s home, the streets, the academy? The transition to Feng’s palace, the hall, the rooms? The garden? The musical score?
4.The story of Randy Daytona: as a young boy, his skills, his military father, his father supporting him, playing against the East German, his father and his betting, the debt, Feng and his underlings? His being warned, falling, being knocked out? His comment about Disneyland – and people quoting it to him forever after? His defeat? As an adult, his performances for the old people? His skills? His being approached by Rodriguez? The FBI and the mission? His listening, not wanting to go? Going to the academy, meeting Wong? The training and his lack of ability? Maggie and her helping to train him? The martial arts? His falling in love with her? His going to the competition, the clash with the other players? Especially the confrontation with the Dragon, her henchman Siu-Foo? His defeating the Dragon? Her reaction? Receiving the information from the mysterious man? Working out where to go, the riddle, his reading the back of the bat? Going, being welcomed by Feng? The East German opposition? The various matches? The night, the assistant to Feng, the men coming into the room, playing the board games with Gary? The build-up to the finale, his being unmasked, Rodriguez injuring his arm? The game, his having to play Maggie to the death, his hitting balls to her racquet and so not being defeated or her being defeated? The arrival of the FBI? The game against Feng, through the different locations, his special table, out in the garden, on the bridge? Wong’s warning that Feng never completed his course, can’t do backhand, his defeat? The happy ending for Randy?
5.Wong, blind, his aphorisms? His generally knowing what was happening? Sometimes facing the wrong direction? The death of his brother, bringing up his niece? Rodriguez and the deal? Accompanying Randy, giving him advice, the night with the women? His confrontation with Feng, able to defeat him?
6.Rodriguez, the FBI, his theories, working with Randy, not expecting to succeed, scouting out the weapons, being unmasked by Feng?
7.Maggie, her father’s death, her uncle? Her skills? The martial arts against the men? Her being brought in as a hostage, playing the final game?
8.The various contestants, Freddie and his abilities, boasting, death? The East German, his snarling at Randy? The shock of his defeat? The other opponents and their deaths?
9.Feng, Christopher Walken, his appearance, dress, sayings? Love of ping-pong? Arms deals? Presiding, his assistant and the blow pipe, the killing of the players? His unmasking Rodriguez? The confrontation between Maggie and Randy? The final game? The humorous performance?
10.The captured men, the sex slaves, Gary, his gratitude, Randy freeing them all?
11.The jokey atmosphere? The writers and their work on Miami 911 and its raunchiness? Toning this down for a more PG rating? The success in offering a humorous but silly comedy?
