If you were haunting a Blockbuster in 2007, you definitely saw it. That bright orange cover. Dan Fogler looking like a disheveled rock star with a ping pong paddle. It’s the Balls of Fury DVD, a physical relic of an era when comedies didn't just go to a streaming service to die—they lived on your shelf in a plastic Amaray case.
Honestly, the movie is ridiculous. It’s a spoof of Enter the Dragon but centered around table tennis. Christopher Walken plays a triad boss named Feng who hosts a tournament to the death. You’ve got George Lopez as an FBI agent and James Hong doing what James Hong does best: being a legendary screen presence. But why are people still hunting down the physical disc in 2026?
Streaming is fragile. One day a movie is there, the next it’s gone because of a licensing dispute between two massive corporations that don't care about your Friday night plans. Owning the Balls of Fury DVD means you actually own the movie. No subscriptions. No "content removed" notices. Just pure, unadulterated 2000s slapstick whenever you want it.
The Special Features You Won't Find on Netflix
Most people forget that the DVD era was the peak of "bonus content." When you pop the Balls of Fury DVD into a player, you aren't just getting the 90-minute theatrical cut. You're getting the stuff that the editors felt was too weird or too long for the big screen.
The deleted scenes are actually pretty extensive. There’s a whole sequence involving more of the "underground" ping pong circuit that adds a bit more flavor to the world-building, even if it’s just for a gag. Then there's the alternate ending. Most streaming versions just give you the standard theatrical wrap-up. The DVD lets you see the paths not taken.
✨ Don't miss: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
And let’s talk about the "ball-handling" featurettes. The cast actually had to learn how to look like they were playing professional-grade table tennis. Watching Dan Fogler and Maggie Q struggle through training with actual ping pong consultants is arguably as funny as the movie itself. You get a sense of the genuine effort that went into a movie that is, on its surface, totally absurd.
Why the 2007 Transfer Holds Up
Technically speaking, the Balls of Fury DVD was released during a transitional period for home video. It came out right as Blu-ray was starting to win the war against HD-DVD. Because of that, the standard definition transfer on the DVD is surprisingly clean.
The colors in Feng's lair are vibrant. The deep reds and golds pop, even if you’re upscaling it on a modern 4K TV. It has that specific film grain that makes movies from the mid-aughts feel "real" compared to the hyper-sanitized digital look of modern streaming originals. It feels like a movie.
Christopher Walken: The Real Reason to Keep the Disc
We have to talk about Walken. In Balls of Fury, he wears these incredible, ornate silk robes and sports a hairstyle that defies the laws of physics. It is a performance that only he could give. He plays it completely straight, which makes the lines about "sudden death" ping pong land ten times harder.
🔗 Read more: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
A Masterclass in Camp
There is a specific nuance to Walken’s delivery that sometimes gets lost in low-bitrate streaming. The Balls of Fury DVD audio track—usually a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix—keeps his idiosyncratic pauses and whispers crisp. When he says, "I'm a little bit of a fan," you hear every dry, crackly syllable.
- The Cast: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, James Hong.
- The Director: Robert Ben Garant (of Reno 911! fame).
- The Vibe: Kung-fu parody meets sports underdog story.
James Hong also deserves a shoutout here. Playing Master Wong, the blind mentor, he parodies every martial arts trope in the book. If you've seen Big Trouble in Little China, seeing him in this role is a meta-treat that makes the Balls of Fury DVD a must-have for fans of cult cinema history.
Collectibility and the Second-Hand Market
Believe it or not, there is a growing market for these specific mid-tier comedies. People are realizing that digital libraries are just long-term rentals. Collectors are scouring eBay and local thrift stores for the Balls of Fury DVD because it represents a specific moment in comedy history.
The "Widescreen" vs. "Full Screen" debate was still raging back then. If you find a copy, make sure you're grabbing the widescreen version. You don't want to miss the peripheral gags that the 4:3 crop cuts out. The physical artwork on the disc itself—often featuring a flaming ping pong ball—is a nice touch of nostalgia that a digital thumbnail just can't replicate.
💡 You might also like: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
What to Look For When Buying
If you’re hunting for a copy today, check the back of the case for the "Focus Features" or "Rogue Pictures" branding. Some later reprints are "bare bones," meaning they stripped out the cool menus and some of the extras to save on manufacturing costs. The original 2007 pressings are the ones you want. They have the most robust menu animations and the full suite of "making-of" clips.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Collector
If you're ready to add this piece of 2000s comedy to your shelf, don't just click the first link you see. There’s a right way to do it.
- Check the Region Code: Most copies you'll find in the US are Region 1. If you're importing or buying from an international seller, make sure your player can handle it, or stick to a region-free player.
- Verify the Disc Condition: These DVDs are nearly 20 years old. Ask for photos of the data side. Surface scratches are fine, but deep "circular" scratches from a malfunctioning disc player are a dealbreaker.
- Inspect the Case: The original orange-tinted cases (if you can find one) are rare. Most were replaced with standard black cases over time. If you find an original orange one, grab it.
- Test the Audio: When you get the disc, skip to the scene where the tournament begins. The bass in the soundtrack is a great way to test if the disc is degrading or if your home theater setup is handling the older Dolby 5.1 format correctly.
Owning physical media isn't just about being a "prepper" for the internet going down. It’s about curation. The Balls of Fury DVD isn't a cinematic masterpiece on par with The Godfather, and it doesn't try to be. It’s a loud, silly, beautifully designed parody that reminds us that sometimes, a movie just needs to be fun. Put it on your shelf. It’s earned its spot next to your Dodgeball and Talladega Nights discs.
Once you have the disc, take the time to watch the commentary track. Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (who wrote and directed it) provide a hilarious look at how hard it is to film a movie about a tiny white ball moving at a hundred miles an hour. It’s a better film school lesson than most people realize. Best of all, no one can ever delete it from your library.