Critics Pan Wahlberg's Balls Up as a Miscast, Unfunny Buddy Comedy
Following its Prime Video release, Peter Farrelly’s Buddy comedy Balls Up, starring Mark Wahlberg, is drawing mostly negative early reviews. Critics fault the film for an underutilized ensemble and heavy crude humor, leaving Wahlberg feeling miscast; some even suggest the movie would have benefited from the manic energy of Jack Black or Jim Carrey. The film sits around 36% on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews, with reviewers like Matt Zoller Seitz saying Hauser can’t salvage what’s perceived as a disaster. Farrelly, who won Oscars for Green Book, hasn’t matched that success with recent projects, though Balls Up features a cast that includes Benjamin Bratt, Eva De Dominici, Daniela Melchior, Molly Shannon, Sacha Baron Cohen and Eric André. The screenplay comes from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and the overall message from critics so far is disappointment.
