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  2. Mark Wahlberg’s New R-Rated Comedy Tanks on Rotten Tomatoes as Critics Pile On
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Mark Wahlberg’s New R-Rated Comedy Tanks on Rotten Tomatoes as Critics Pile On

written by Craig Ellison
Mark Wahlberg’s New R-Rated Comedy Tanks on Rotten Tomatoes as Critics Pile On
Image credit: Legion-Media

Mark Wahlberg’s R-rated romp Balls Up just dropped on Prime Video, and early reviews are rough—despite Peter Farrelly at the helm and Paul Walter Hauser co-starring, the raunchy World Cup caper is catching flak for crude laughs and clumsy execution, leaving it with a middling Rotten Tomatoes score.

Alright, here’s the deal with Balls Up: Mark Wahlberg decided to try his hand (yet again) at R-rated comedy, this time teaming up with Paul Walter Hauser and director Peter Farrelly (as in, 'one half of the Dumb and Dumber guys'). The movie just dropped on Prime Video, and let me tell you, the critics aren't exactly lining up to sing its praises.

What Balls Up Is Even About

Wahlberg and Hauser play a couple of marketing execs, Brad and Elijah, whose big idea is to slap their brand all over World Cup condoms. Raunchy? Sure. Subtle? Not even close. Set in Brazil, the movie leans hard into soccer clichés and boyish humor, with a runtime that drags the jokes out for 1 hour and 44 minutes. (Available to stream as of April 15, 2026, if you’re morbidly curious.)

Critical Reception: Swing and a Miss

The Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at a not-so-glorious 42%—and that's from only 12 critics so far. If you were hoping for a critical darling, this is not it.

  • Frank Scheck (Hollywood Reporter): Wished it had the chaos of Jack Black or Jim Carrey. Translation—Wahlberg? Not zany enough.
  • Matt Zoller Seitz (RogerEbert.com): Suggested Wahlberg just shouldn’t play witty roles. Ever.
  • Jacob Oller (AV Club, D+): 'Man cannot live on dick jokes alone.' Accurate.
  • Brian Orndorf (Blu-ray.com, D): Called the movie 'desperate,' which isn’t a word you want attached to a comedy.
  • Juan Pablo Russo (EscribiendoCine, 1/10): 'Football is reduced to an excuse, Brazil to a caricature, and comedy to a series of failed attempts.' Ouch.
  • Casey Chong (Fortress of Solitude): Straight up, 'mostly unfunny.'
  • Mark Dujsik (Mark Reviews Movies, 1.5/4): Not a fan, let's leave it at that.

Not everyone hated it, for the record. Some folks seemed weirdly fine with the movie’s lowest-common-denominator approach:

'Juvenile entertainment, handled by professionals.' – Andrew Lawrence, The Guardian

Guy Lodge at Variety described it as 'a down-the-middle streaming comedy'—which is critic speak for 'grab a snack, don’t expect much.' Jonathon Wilson (Ready Steady Cut) also shrugged and said it’s a 'totally uncomplicated and laid-back good time.' Charles Koplinski from Reel Talk gave it 3 out of 4 and admitted (possibly with shame?) that he laughed at a bit involving a fish, a urethra, and presumably Mark Wahlberg’s reaction.

Final Thoughts: Watch At Your Own Risk

To sum it up, Balls Up is—you guessed it—another raunchy comedy that throws everything at the wall and hopes something sticks. There’s a few defenders, but most critics landed somewhere between unimpressed and actively annoyed. If you’ve ever wondered what Wahlberg starring in a World Cup condom farce looks like—congratulations, Prime Video has you covered. For everyone else, this one’s probably safe to skip.