Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach (2009) Reviews

• Aimed for a specific audience

  Dakotaen2009-03-27

  When I first read a review of this movie, I wasn't sure I'd even bother watching it. But, since I'm a major fan of Seann William Scott, I just had to. And I'm happy I did! There's no doubt that the humor is aimed for a specific audience, and if you're looking for mature jokes, at least decent acting and/or a great storyline, you may as well go find another movie, 'cause you won't get any of those things here. However, if you, like myself, enjoy stupid jokes, immaturity on a high level, and acting that doesn't need to be great, as long as it's funny, you've got a winner right here. From little girls who apparently use the internet too much, to china men laughing their balls off, over to Indonesian table tennis players who don't speak a lick of English, this flick just kicks you in the nuts at every turn, and that in a good way, I might add. Whenever I rate a movie, I don't look at individual acting, sets, lighting, directing or any other kind of technical pestilence. I aim directly at entertainment value on a personal level. And this movie entertained me all the way through, hence I give it an 8 out of 10. I advise everyone with a deep-in-the-dirt sense of humor to watch this, and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks to the makers.

• He's Got Balls

  MacAindrais2008-12-21

  Balls Out: The Gary Houseman Story (2009) ** From Dodgeball to ping pong to basketball and even ice skating, sports have been the basis for wacky oddball comedies as of late, some better and funnier than others. This one doesn't star Will Ferrel or Vince Vaughan. Instead, it's Sean William Scott. He's been been funny before, so O.K., not a bad start. The film's script apparently also won an award, I'm told. I'm not really sure how. There's nothing new or unexpected. It's the usual routine: a group of misfits gets an unruly new coach who turns them around and leads them to glory. Sean William Scott plays tennis hasbeen/never-was Gary. He went on the Mexican semi-pro tour after a few incidents in college, before settling down in Nebraska, because it's as good as anywhere really. Plus the real estate is cheap (referring to a banged up motor home). He became an engineer - the custodial branch. One day he gets the itch an runs out on the tennis court while the high school team is practicing. The coach (Randy Quaid) recruits him as his assistant. Gary, for some reason, is enamored with the coach, but then he dies. Because he's not a teacher, the school can't make him the head coach, at least officially. The new head coach (or co-assistant coach) has no experience with tennis, or any other sport he says. In order to honor the late coach, Gary is determined to coach the tennis team to a state championship. The cast includes lots of the usual oddballs: the gifted tennis player who reminds Gary of himself; wimpy kids afraid of getting hit with the ball; the sexy foreign language teacher as the subject of the protagonist's desires. There's also the late coach's teenage daughter, who interestingly, but oddly, has the hots for Gary before becoming the love interest of the teams star player. Gary even recruits the weird foreign kid - a pro ping pong player from the Philippines. He's never played tennis before, but his hand/eye coordination must be amazing, as Gary points out. Balls Out actually does manage to be occasionally endearing with its goofy characters. And Sean William Scott really can play a dirty greaser very well - thanks most probably to his ability to grow a mean fumanchu. He seems so greasy it's almost offputting at times, but funny at others. When the late coach's daughter plants one on him, for a minute it seems plausible that he'll actually go through with it. That scene does lead to the film's mandatory act of turmoil and challenge. Of course, it's overcome though. I had a fair share of laughs, but only a few roarers. The exchange student is comical in how quickly he himself becomes almost Gary's partner in crime after moving into the motor home with him. In the end, Balls Out just isn't consistently funny enough, and too many of the big jokes fall flat. The film will likely be released amid the January slew of films that studios would rather forget they made. I can't see the movie making a big box office splash, but it might do alright depending on what weekend it lands.

• great choice for a boys night in (with a couple of beers)

  cinefile19682009-01-02

  OK, so this isn't exactly the next deer hunter. but i was hugely entertained by this flick. out of nowhere a night in turned into a night of complete hilarity. if you're in the mood for something with depth, this isn't exactly the film for you. But for the light hearted comedy this film provides, it definitely deserves to show up as a blip on the viewers radar! Surprisingly i found a few fairly brilliant lines in this films and if you look past the slightly weak direction you will find an immenecely entertaining performance from sean william and a brilliantly entertaining film.

• National Lampoon plays ball

  p-stepien2009-12-02

  Gary (Sean William Scott) is a failed tennis player, who did some semi-pro circuits in Mexico before getting thrown out. Penniless with his dreams in tatters in ends up in a small Nebraska town, where he decides to drop tennis and focus on different goals. Like being a school janitor. Fate has a funny way of punching you in the balls and push comes to shove when Gary ends up training the school's loser tennis team. Sean William Scott is an immensely talented comedian with so many areas he could explore with his comedic feel. Unfortunately most of his career paths involve eating turds, defecating and/or barfing. This movie is no exception to the rule with fart jokes coupled with some midget humour being the norm and slightly more congenial jokes coming sparse, if at all. That said some of the especially absurd humour really made me laugh. The movie really doesn't build too well and tends to bore a bit with no real story building apart from the stereotypical losers turning into winners. All in all this is Sean William Scott running the show and if you have disliked all the stuff he has done in the past just pass on this movie. For the rest - nothing special, but if you have a couple of beers, spare time and no great expectations why not...

• Great comedy

  manuelro2008-12-20

  I enjoyed this movie very much and i think that this is a classic Sean William Scot movie. I admit that some bits of the movie have been done before and there are a lot of clichés in it. The movie really could have used some new jokes.... I really wasn't expecting more than what i have seen in the last comedies of Sean William Scot and in some way it met my expectation. Also i think that Sean William Scot didn't perform at his best and sometimes the acting wasn't that great. For people who are looking for something more than a funny movie i advice them to look somewhere else. I rate it 7/10 because it could have been better.