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Absolutely brilliant

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blackball seemed like it might be worth a look, based on the on-screen plot description when I was looking through all the free premium channels offered on my satellite system last weekend. Last night we viewed it and found it to be an utter bore.This is the first movie I've ever seen that has any focus at all on lawn bowling, called "bowls." If you are like most of the people around the world and know little about this sport, after you see this film, you will still know little, but a tiny bit more than before. However, after being introduced to this sport by this movie, you are not likely to become a fan of it in any way.Paul Kaye's lead character, Cliff, was an obnoxious lout who possessed one of the foulest mouths I've ever seen on the screen, dropping F-bombs haphazardly into almost every conversation. While I don't care too much when foul language is used in appropriate situations, I do object to it being used for so many situations that it has virtually no meaning in the conversation. That is what Cliff and others do in this film.The most disturbing thing about Cliff is the stupidity he demonstrates. Supposedly determined to represent England in a competition against Australia, he works for some time to win a county championship that, somehow, will get him selected to represent England. Yet just as he accomplishes the goal, he commits an act of stupidity that the officials in charge not only decide is so egregious that he not only cannot be selected to represent England in the near future, but he is banned from all competition in bowls for 20 years.I can easily deal with a "hero" who has flaws, but Cliff is such a jerk that we viewers never are given any reason to want him to triumph. He is given a love interest and we don't see why the girl cares for him. He gets an American sports agent who manages to get the ban overturned and he is then chosen for the big match against Australia. He is to team in a doubles match with the father of his girlfriend, the longtime club champion who has never represented England, before, for reasons that were never satisfactorily explained.In the spirit of all of the worst sports movies ever filmed, the finishing scenes contain all of the expected cliché devices as we watch our "hero" attempt to win the big match. I endured it all for reasons I do not understand. My wife, the wiser of us, wisely fell asleep less than halfway through this film.The drama was utterly predictable, the laughs were almost totally missing and the reason for making such a dull movie is something I cannot explain. I don't think my negative impression has anything to do with my lack of expertise in lawn bowling because the rules are very much like curling, a sport I have enjoyed over a hundred times on TV and in person. I cannot give this a score higher than a 2.

I did not like the marketing of the film in he UK which sold the film as a comedy with a weird theme, when what the film actually is is a romantic comedy with dramatic moments and hilarious moments about the clash between modern England and the traditional England symbolized by the odd game Blackball. Peter Kaye embodies the post sex pistols generations and delivers a superb interpretation. The story is entertaining, moves fast enough, Mel Smith's directing is sharp and efficient. It should have been a success. Alice Evans is cute enough, a bit on the cold though, as the daughter of the old Speight played by a towering James Cromwell, excellent as always. What an actor! The duet Cromwell/Kaye is unforgettable and works marvelously as the symbol for modern day England generation gap and culture clash. Tasteless marketing impaired the chances of this very good British movie in the theaters.

I think it is fair to say that National Lampoon's Blackball borrows heavily from the whole concept that made Happy Gilmore the success it was. While this was not as good or nearly as popular, it is far better than many of the recent movies National Lampoon has released lately, most recently Holiday Reunion.Cliff Starkey (Paul Kaye) is a renegade bowler with a natural talent to make the balls do pretty much whatever he needs. He knows the trick shots and knows the game inside and out. Due to some childish pranks on his part, he is suspended from the game for 15 years so is reduced to playing only exhibitions. Thanks to Rick Schwartz (Vince Vaughn), who is something of an agent, he builds up Starkey's name as an attraction while at the same time, gets him the endorsements and appearances. Basically, he makes him famous. This is where the bowling league decides they are missing out on a lot of cash by not having him.The movie moves towards teaming Cliff with his arch enemy in the bowling field, Ray Speight (James Cromwell) against Australia's baddest bowlers, Kyle and Mark Doohan (Mark Dymond & Mark Little). The English team of Starkey and Speight are having problems getting their heads in the game due to Starkey's press coverage of himself with Speight's daughter, Kerry (Alice Evans).Blackball was by no means as good as Happy Gilmore was, if you are into these types of films, but it is definitely the same genre. The renegade bad boy is bringing new fans and more money to an otherwise dull sport. It is not too high on the list of great comedies, but if you like this type of humor, or National Lampoon for that matter, then it is one of their better efforts since they stopped making the Vacation movies. 6.5/10

I hired this film from my local library having run out of decent films to watch and absolutely loved it! Yes, it's stupid, no, we don't know what she sees in him, of course bowls is the most boring game in the world. However the one liners (I'm sorry but the moment before the matrix mention is inspired) the marching band and the leopard print bra speak for themselves. The amazing talent that kept popping up was fabulous and the tension build at the end incredible (especially given the subject). It's a fantastic feel-good movie with romance, champagne, porn, cheerleaders, decorators, rebels and, of course, bowls. I'm going to go and watch it again whilst you all sulk!