DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Am I Missing Something?

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Dodgeball is a hilarious movie by the now titled "frat pack". Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn play rival gym owners with rivaling personalities who agree to a playoff in the game called Dodgeball which means, you guessed it- dodging basketballs. Ben Stiller is very good as the arrogant and overtly confident White Goodman. There are many great performances and the movie flows at a brisk pace. Dodgeball is a great comedy that you should definitely consider watching.

An archetypal (and purportedly true) underdog story, Dodgeball sees Vince Vaughn as lovable but apathetic gym owner Peter La Fleur, who, with his band of misfit customers, enters a national dodgeball tournament to try and win the $50,000 he needs to prevent his business from being acquired by corporate fitness freak White Goodman (Ben Stiller).The order of the day here is low-brow humour, with laughs derived from abject silliness, vulgarity and slapstick; thankfully, nearly all of the gags hit their target square in the face, meaning that even the most joyless of viewers will struggle to remain composed. Whether its the simple pleasure of seeing a person being hit in the knackers by a fast moving ball, the sight of an overweight cheerleader wearing no underwear falling ass down onto someone's face, or ridiculous lines of dialogue such as 'I've even seen a grown man satisfy a camel', Dodgeball is simply too daft not to enjoy.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004): Dir: Rawson Marshall Thurber / Cast: Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Rip Torn, Hank Azaria: Amusing and somewhat unique sports comedy about life's curve balls. It stars Vince Vaughn who owns a fitness gym called Average Joe's that is threatened to be demolished into a parking lot by fitness instructor Ben Stiller of Globo- Gym. Vaughn must come up with $50, 000 and the method of payment becomes a dodgeball competition, which Globo-Gym also enters. Dodgeball becomes the deciding factor. Effective premise exploits fitness clubs and the image pressure to look good. There are the expected clichés such as the stereotype players made up of characters more or less from better movies. Directed with comic insight by Rawson Marshall Thurber with many great sight jokes. Vaughn fares well as Average Joe's front man out to win this competition and gain predicted respect. Stiller steals scenes with his outlandish behaviour that will ultimately lead to his downfall. Christine Taylor plays an attorney in what can only be described as a romantic prop. Rip Torn plays an aged dodgeball trainer whose sudden dismiss seems too cliché. Then there are a slew of effective actors in comic form playing the standard dimwits who play types over personalities. Theme suggests we dodge images thrown by fitness club egos. Score: 7 / 10

Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Justin Long and Rip Torn star in this 2004 comedy. Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur, a mild-mannered guy who owns a gym where a group of his misfit friends workout. Soon, he meets bank lawyer, Kate Veatch (Taylor) who informs him that he's $50,000 in debt. Stiller plays despicable, fitness trainer, White Goodman who intends to buy Peter's gym from him. Peter decides to compete in a dodgeball tournament where the prize is $50,000 and White plays against him. Long (Jeepers Creepers) plays nerdy teen, Justin who is one of Peter's friends and Torn (Men in Black) plays former athlete, Patches O'Houlihan who helps Peter and his team. Gary Cole, Jason Bateman, Hank Azaria, William Shatner, Lance Armstrong and Chuck Norris also appear. This is a good comedy and Vaughn and Stiller are great in it. I recommend this.