We have free passes to see it Monday night. I’m not expecting much from it, but I’ll see damn near anything for free, and I love Christopher Walken. I know he has very low standards for what he’ll be in, but I also know he always does his best with the roles he’s given.
I’m actually looking forward to seeing it. I’m just concerned that they might have used all the ‘good’ stuff to make the trailer.
Dang, y’all. It’s not just Christopher Walken.
It’s Christopher Walken. In. A. Dress.
How can you pass?
I think it looks more liuke a robe; Oriental style, ya know?
And he has a black pompador.
And he’s Christopher Walken.
I’ll give it a shot. On video. When it hits BlockBuster.
We saw this last night. It’s okay. I’d say if you saw the trailer and didn’t think much of it, you won’t like it. If you saw the trailer and like the OP, were excited about it, you might have a good time. It’s not worth paying full price to see, but a matinee at a theater that serves beer could be good. Or wait for it to come out on DVD or cable.
If you like '80s movies, you stand a better chance of enjoying Balls of Fury. It’s almost the exact same plot as Gymkata, but played for intentional laughs, and has the tone of an '80s Police Academy-style comedy. I chuckled at a number of gags, smiled at plenty of others, but only really laughed out loud at a few things towards the end. It has some fun cameos in it, but I didn’t think it was anything to wrote home about. It could have been better than it was; the first hour definitely could have been stronger. My husband liked it more than I did, but he didn’t think it was particularly awesome either. We agreed that seeing it on a free pass was a good idea. 
Generally speaking. Generally. When I see a movie like that released at the end of Summer, I always go, “why didn’t they release that earlier?”
What I’m saying is that it looks like it might have potential, and I’d give it the benefit of the doubt if it was coming out in May. A September release? Not so much benefit of doubt.
Kind of like that Kevin Bacon movie, or “War”? They werent’ trying to put them up against “Die Hard” and “Bourne Ultimatum”, dig?
There are notable exceptions. I figured **Superbad **was released now just to keep it separated from Knocked Up.
But, I could be wrong. I think its a perfectly serviceable premise, but the talent doesn’t really excite me.
I think it’s funnny when Walken gives the line:
“Or as the Chinese call it… Peng-Pang”
Most of Walken’s stuff is pretty good, a lot of really off-the-wall humor. There’s not nearly enough of him, considering his presence is the movie’s major selling point.
To you and Otto: Really? Huh. Even School of Rock?
Can’t you reported to some kind of government watchdog agency for not liking Jack Black? Heathens among us!
Looks like a good movie…for a MST3K Experiment (or barring that, Rifftrax)
Nah, for me, it wasn’t one of those where you’re so bored you have to make your own fun, or you feel so hostile you feel obligated to berate the movie. It was just…moderately amusing.
MST3K/Rifftrax only works when the movie being riffed takes itself seriously. This is why, IMO at least, the Roadhouse Rifftrack was fantastic and the Fifth Element one was only so-so. I know some people think Fifth Element ain’t that hot, but it’s a pretty playful movie regardless of quality.
I don’t think Balls of Fury takes itself very seriously. Just a guess. 
If you’d like a movie about Ping Pong that’s not entirely stupid, there’s the 2002 movie, Ping Pong (based on the manga of the same name). It wavers between serious and surreal with a moderate amount of humor.
The first reviews are out. Guess insane is the right answer.
Yeah, the critics liked it even less than I did. I wasn’t expecting much and found it mediocre, but I’ve seen FAR unfunnier comedies, and it just didn’t piss me off at all. I guess it’s easier for critics to write a review trashing a movie than a lukewarm, “meh” review.
I remember laughing at the trailer for Hot Stuff. Went to see the movie. All the funny parts I’d already seen … in the trailer.
Well, I’ll be the dissenting view, I suppose. I liked this movie. More than I thought I would. Sure, it had some moments that fell flat, but overall, I found it pretty funny.
I am, admittedly, a fan of Thomas Lennon’s brand of humor, and I was a bit surprised to find out he was in it. Lots of crew from “Reno: 911” which, if I had known that in advance, would probably have made me rather leery as I thought the Reno: 911 movie was awful. But I enjoyed this one and wouldn’t mind owning it on DVD some day.
Sure I’m interested. It has cast members from The State. Generally I don’t like obviously dumb movies, but they always make me smile.