38
Metascore
26 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-IntelligencerThe reason Balls of Fury works as well as it does, aside from its low aspirations, is because of the charm of Fogler in the lead. Like Jack Black, but not as sarcastic, he brings a winning enthusiasm to the role.
- 63New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanIf it's not quite the best Will Ferrell movie he never made, Balls of Fury is, at the very least, a lot funnier than it has a right to be.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe good news is that Christopher Walken, resplendent in purple silk, isn't the film's sole redeeming element. The bad news is that even his arch-villain can't save Balls of Fury from losing bounce as the story proceeds.
- 50VarietyBrian LowryVarietyBrian LowryRelentlessly silly in spoofing martial-arts movie conventions, Balls of Fury has roughly enough laughs for a first-class trailer but wheezes, gasps and finally goes flat through much of its 90 minutes.
- 50Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustLos Angeles TimesKevin CrustA lifeless pingpong comedy that ricochets from one flat gag to the next.
- 50TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxIn the grand tradition of "Beerfest" and "Bladels of Glory," this insistently ludicrous -- and not entirely unfunny -- two-joke comedy satirizes an old Hollywood standby: the big-comeback sports movie.
- 50Baltimore SunBaltimore SunAs disposable as aluminum cans without the promise of a cash return.
- 38USA TodayClaudia PuigUSA TodayClaudia PuigBalls of Fury makes "Dodgeball" look like high art. It'll be tough to crack a smile, let alone laugh, during this uninspired and sophomoric satire of sports movies.
- 30The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottRaunchier and somewhat more imaginative than “Hot Rod.”
- 25New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickMostly unfunny, extremely silly pingpong comedy.