Balls Up: A Hit or Miss Outrageous Sports Comedy

Directed by Peter Farrelly, Balls Up follows Brad (Wahlberg) and Elijah (Hauser), two rival American marketing executives who have designed a revolutionary new condom and are looking to pitch a bold full‑coverage sponsorship with the next World Cup in Brazil. However, after blowing the opportunity and getting fired from their jobs, they decide to use their free tickets to attend the World Cup. While there, Brad and Elijah’s drunken debauchery would lead to an international incident, soon finding themselves hunted by the entirety of Brazil and having to find a way out of the country before it is too late. Offering up a decent comedy, Balls Up is on par with most of the comedies the Farrelly Brothers have been releasing as of late, for better or worse.

As Brad, Wahlberg gives one of his most committed performances in years, getting to let loose and have fun on screen. Bringing back the silly Wahlberg that audiences have grown accustomed to seeing in films like Ted and The Other Guys, though this film may not quite be on the level of those films, it is a much-needed change. Similarly, Hauser’s Elijah holds his own, as the two make for a great pairing. Not only are they funny together, their strong chemistry makes them fun to watch. Notably, Sacha Baron Cohen is also a highlight, making the most out of a quick appearance by delivering the film’s biggest laughs.

While not as funny as some of Peter Farrelly’s earlier work, when it hits, it hits. Leaning heavily on lowbrow and juvenile humor, its R-rating may be a bit deceiving, as it feels like the target audience is actually teenage boys. In the end, whether or not it works will rest on one’s ability to tolerate that kind of humor. That being said, in terms of what to expect, the title should be a big giveaway and serve as enough of a warning for audiences that may be on the fence. Either way, the lines have more or less already been drawn. In this case, a lot of jokes do fall flat, and in typical Peter Farrelly fashion, there are several scenes and particular jokes that seemingly go on for ages, when they were not all that funny to begin with.

Grinding to a halt come the final act, while it does not completely go off the rails, it is easily the weakest part of the film, despite the appearance of some very funny people. The kind of film that defies all logic and believability, suffice it to say that it is best enjoyed when turning one’s brain off.

Completely missing out on the sports element of its premise, just slightly hinting at some commentary about the toxicity of sports culture and fans, it is simply relegated to the background following the first act, only to be seldom seen again, holding back and dropping the ball on something that could have helped the film stand out more. Instead the film opts for the safer approach, trying to make audiences laugh with its inconsistent off-brand type of humor. The longer the film goes on, the more outlandish and unbelievable it becomes, as Brad and Elijah continuously find themselves in an escalating series of dangerous, life-or-death situations that any normal person would undoubtedly not survive.

While Balls Up is much better than what its promotional material may suggest, that is still not saying all that much. Mark Wahlberg, and Paul Walter Hauser are a lot of fun together, and the film definitely features some big laughs throughout, but is ultimately let down by inconsistent humor and a momentum killing third act. All in all, it presents yet another decent watch that will probably illicit many of the same reactions to its outrageous humor, like Peter Farrelly previous effort in 2024’s ‘Ricky Stanicky,’ which it is on par with.

still courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/