Fireball (2009)

Dir: Thanakorn Pongsuwan
Lions Gate DVD

Finally a movie about underground, full-contact basketball! But more than that, it's a movie about class struggles as the rich use this concept of "Fireball', which is basketball with no rules and the first team to score wins, to keep the poor down. It's a poignant tale of the working class as they, well not really. It's just an excuse for guys to beat the crap out of each other. Since Ong-bak was released there has been a steady stream of imitators coming out of Thailand with knees to the head and fists to the throat. That's fine, unfortunately this one is shot on handy cam and will certainly induce nausea in those inclined towards motion sickness. The story is predictable and there's an edit every 1.5 seconds, but it's forgivable if you're into brutal kung-fu and basketball. So if this sounds appealing at all, grab your Dramamine and check it out. Or don't, your life will be pretty much the same either way.

4/10