Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story (2003)

53% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
61% of users liked it
(1,336 ratings)

The original hitman of paintball returns to reclaim his rightful crown in the one comedy that proves you're never too old for a killer comeback. Everyone knows that the name Bobby Dukes (Rob Corddry) is synonymous with the game of paintball, and when the teenaged Dukes led his team, the River Rats,… More The original hitman of paintball returns to reclaim his rightful crown in the one comedy that proves you're never too old for a killer comeback. Everyone knows that the name Bobby Dukes (Rob Corddry) is synonymous with the game of paintball, and when the teenaged Dukes led his team, the River Rats, to three consecutive wins at the East Coast's legendary Hudson Valley Paintball Classic, it appeared as if the game was finally about to break big due in no small part to Dukes' dead-eye aim and easygoing charisma. It was that fateful attempt at a fourth win that ultimately derailed Dukes' career as a triggerman, though, and after being shot during one of his signature moves, the three-time champion committed one of the most heinous acts in all of paintball -- wiping. Spotted by a keen-eyed referee and subsequently ejected for his attempts to cover up the telltale stain, Dukes' was devastated to become the laughing stock of the paintball community. Now, the time has come to let go of the past and lay claim to the future, and though no self-respecting paintball player would be caught stained on the team of a man who once wiped, Dukes is soon joined by the very same referee who exposed his deceitful transgression in assembling a ragtag team of underdogs and once again laying claim to the coveted Hudson Valley Paintball Classic title. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Brant Sersen
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 13, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jul 25, 2006
Studio: Shout! Factory

Critic Reviews

Erin Meister, Boston Globe
... succeeds as a modest tribute to the kind of aging boys club that idles for hours in somebody's parents' rumpus room, its members tossing around big-man talk but trapped in emotional adolescence.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
It's a mildly amusing feature that takes a few too many potshots at some very broad targets.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Corddry leads a game cast, but the film is rough around the edges and lacks the sophistication of, say, Christopher Guest's Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman.
Dana Stevens, New York Times
This spoof of sports biopics is essentially an extended improvisational skit, with a troupe of comics riffing on a central joke (the elevation of paintball to a noble calling).
Joe Leydon, Variety
A mildly amusing mockumentary about a disgraced paintball champ who wants one more shot.
Ben Kenigsberg, Village Voice
Blurbsters on Rotten Tomatoes will say it's hit-and-miss -- and they'll be right.
Christopher Campbell, Cinematical
There isn't the same labored yet quotable wit ... that you'll find in some of the scripted satires, but part of the fun of improvisation is its spontaneous lack of polish.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
not enough to make Blackballed worth watching for more than a couple of giggles.
David Cornelius, DVDTalk.com
With so much comic talent all in one place, Blackballed becomes a dopey but lovable gigglefest.
Mike Russell, Oregonian
More amusing than it is funny.
Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies
It doesn't have enough comic energy to support its plot.
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
Needs a better smattering of colourful, interesting characters than it delivers [with its] scattershot approach . . . lacks any bruising zingers or zealously zany characters.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Jiggly camerawork meant to mimic that of the unseen documentarians, and mismatched lighting, perfunctory paintball action, and overlong dialogue riffs that make the film look more like a really lengthy skit than a fully finished movie.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Sersen sneaks up behind the semi-obscure sport of paintball and hoists it up for an atomic wedgie.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Though the performances are surprisingly good -- the characters are drawn with a broad brush, but the actors, almost all professional comics, hit all the right notes -- the material just isn't funny enough to justify the film's length.
Noel Murray, AV Club
While there's some dramatic interest in seeing how the story wraps, Blackballed pretty much wears out by midpoint.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
Does it give you a finer appreciation for the 'sport' of paintball? Probably not, but like paintball, it's fun even when it's messy.
Jeff Otto, IGN Movies
An attempt at a Christopher Guest-style mockumentary minus the biting satire and wit.