Fireball On DVD: It's Like Basketball But With More Murder

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By David Wharton
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If you're like me, there's been many a basketball game where you've found yourself thinking, "What this needs is more stabbing and roundhouse kicks." Fortunately, somebody out there agrees with me, at least judging by the Thai film Fireball, which hits DVD on January 26th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Combining basketball with Muay Thai martial arts is just nutty enough to capture my attention, especially when said sport is potentially lethal. While this is a premise that could potentially ascend beyond the need for an actual plot, they included one anyway. In the words of the press release:

Tai is discharged from jail and returns home, only to find his brother in a coma. Determined to find the truth, Tai assumes his brother Tan’s identity, which ultimately leads him to an underground ultra-violent game based on Muay Thai and Basketball principles, but hosted by criminal drug lords. On a mission to find the man that hospitalized his brother, Tai risks his life to avenge him on the only court where murder is legal. No rules, no mercy, and only the strongest will survive.

Sounds like the makings of a bloodsport flick that could only be rivaled by...er...Bloodsport. For some strange reason Fireball isn't exactly raking in the critical praise over on RottenTomatoes, but then it also only has a handful of reviews. Clearly, the genius of "basketball plus ultraviolence" will not be appreciated in its own time. We've embedded the trailer for Fireball below so you can scope it out. If nothing else, it sounds like this flick might lend itself to a few hours of beer-soaked entertainment with some snarky friends. Though it will likely make any future viewings of ESPN a huge letdown.

David Wharton