Balls Out
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Crude, lowbrow sports spoof has a few chuckles.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Balls Out
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Five years ago, Caleb (Jake Lacy) happily played college intramural flag football -- until a tricky play left his friend, Grant (Nick Kocher), paralyzed. Now, Caleb doesn't play anymore; instead, he studies for the LSATs and dates Vicky (Kate McKinnon), who's pushing him to marry her and join her father's firm. Not sure that that's what he wants to do, Caleb decides to reunite his team of lovable underdogs. Things get serious when an old rival, Dick (Beck Bennett), starts taunting him, and Caleb finds himself falling for Dick's sister, Meredith (Nikki Reed). And when the team needs him most, even Grant comes back, now fulfilling the role of inspirational coach. Will Caleb and the Panthers win the championship? (Duh.)
Is It Any Good?
These days, spoof movies are cheap and plentiful; they're usually lowest common denominator stuff, but with a handful of Saturday Night Live vets on board, this one fares slightly better. The makers of BALLS OUT are aware of every single sports movie cliché and have cheerfully packed them together. But rather than simply copying better-known scenes from better-known movies and throwing in gross-out gags, the film actually tries for its own unique sight gags and verbal wit.
The humor is still very broad and lowbrow, but that can be forgiven. Too bad it has other, severe limitations. Following even more sports movie conventions, it's unable to conjure up any truly carefree characters -- but at the same time, even the sympathetic characters are too silly to really care about. Because of this distancing, the movie's jokes are likely to fade from memory rather quickly, even if they do deliver a few decent chuckles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Balls Out's cartoonish violence. Did it make you laugh? What's the difference between cartoonish violence and more realistic violence? Which has more impact, and why?
How does the movie use sexual references and innuendo to create humor?
Did you notice any stereotypes? If so, what are they, and how could they have been presented differently? Is it OK to rely on stereotypes for laughs?
How is the movie's bully shown? What makes him a bully? How do the characters deal with him? Is he realistic? Does he share traits with any real-life bullies you may have encountered?
Why are sports movies so easy to spoof? Why do you think so many of them have similar plot elements?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 19, 2015
- On DVD or streaming: June 17, 2016
- Cast: Jake Lacy, Nikki Reed, Kate McKinnon
- Director: Andrew Disney
- Studio: Orion
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Run time: 100 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: crude and sexual material, language and some drug use
- Last updated: December 6, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate