DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

For a while now I have truly loved this film but I haven't watched it in a while so last night I decided to and in my opinion this is one of the best comedies I have seen and one of my personally favourites. The premise of the film sees a down on its luck gym in danger of being destroyed by its richer competition. So in order to save there gym they enter a dodgeball tournament to raise the money. I have been critical of Vince Vaughan before for being the same character in pretty much all of his comedies but this is the one where it really works. He totally encapsulates his charismatic but underachieving character really well and you do truly root for his character and the situation that he is put in. The supporting cast is also really good, starting with the obvious, Ben stiller absolutely kills it as white Goodman probably giving my favourite performance of his. He is so obnoxious but totally owns it in a way that it really does make it fun to watch his character and truly makes it a memorable performance. Christine Taylor plays Vaughan's love interest in this film but she is a great character in her own right and I thought she gave a fun performance. Rip torn plays patches o hoolihan there coach and he gives such an over the top performance but it works as you watch this crazy old guy drilling these grown men. Justin long and Alan tudyk also give really funny performances in this film, also this film contains one of my favourite Jason Bateman performances. The story is as described in the title an underdog story and I always remain heavily invested in the story of this film as these highly likable people fight against the evil corporation it is good stuff. However, my one issue with this film is its first act isn't that funny and it feels a bit sluggish as they introduce all of these characters one at a time, also yes the story is pretty cliché as well. The script has some gutbusting dialogue in it that always makes me laugh out loud, but it also does a really good job with its more dramatic scenes that as mentioned before makes you care about the characters. The style of the film is pretty raunchy and that could put some people off but I really enjoy it about this film and think it adds top the film. All the dodgeball matches are really well planned and all feel different and unique which is credit to the filmmakers to make that possible. Overall I really do love this film and think if you are a fan of comedies like this then it is a must watch.

​Plot Overview: When White Goodman(Ben Stiller) threatens to take over Paul Le Fleur(Vince Vaughn)'s gym, Paul has 30 days to make $50,000 to save his gym and what better of a way than a Dodgeball tournament.Directed by Rawson Marshall ThurberStarring Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor# NO SPOILERS!Overall: This movie is pretty funny and had some pretty good characters. It's got charm and a good story and I can definitely recommend you watch it.# POSSIBLE SPOILERS!Good:1. Vince Vaughn is great as Pete Le Fleur as is Christine Taylor as Kate Veatch.2. Ben Stiller steals the show as White Goodman and his overacting carries the movie throughout. He's a highly entertaining character and sticks out in your mind.3. Everyone else does a good job but they were the main three who stood out for me.4. The story is what it says on the tin, 'an underdog story'. Nothing less, nothing more. It didn't need to be anything spectacular and it serves its purpose well.5. The movie is funny. I audibly laughed numerous times throughout the movie and was smiling throughout. Bad:1. The cinematography was pretty poor.2. There were multiple loose ends involving characters which I would have liked to see resolved.7/10Would Recommend

Basically, my thoughts about this movie can be summed up in the title of this review. A family member of mine got this movie as a gift last Christmas, and just recently I was in a "comedy" mood and gave it a viewing. By the end of the film, though, the only person I was laughing at was myself for sitting through the whole thing.The problems with this film are numerous: The jokes rely way too much on crude humor, they often aren't even funny in that area, and the goal of the film (to combine comedy with an even somewhat compelling storyline) is not even close to realized. About the only positive impact this movie had on society was to get people playing the game of dodgeball once again. Yet, it was no thanks to the jokes in this movie...just the base subject matter.Thus, if you are looking for 90 minutes of laughter, please look elsewhere. Only a couple of decently funny scenarios kept this movie away from a bottom-of-the-barrel one star rating, and a "1.5 stars" would have been the optimal rating. Fans of Ben Stiller will find Zoolander to offer more genuine laughs, while others may want to steer clear of this entire comedy genre altogether.

In a storm of horrendous new comedies to come out at the beginning of the millennium (Aside from 2000's "Meet the Parents"), most were memorable yet others remained easily forgettable. Then came "Dodgeball" and suddenly I fell in love with a sport I barely knew existed, and a comedy where Ben Stiller's notoriously cartoonish nature just shined throughout."Dodgeball", is literally your "Average Joe" movie. Featuring dumb yet very lovable main "Joes", against the eccentric nut balls "Cobras" (A hilarious satire on people too much nowadays obsessed with physical perfection). But really if you came to find clever and wittiness in this movie, switch it off now because really if you're like everyone else you wanna see some DODGEBALL! Some of the hits in this movie will make you cry with laughter, and with teams like "Skillz that Killz", and the "Las Vegas P.D" etc. The film is very self aware and just has fun with itself.Vince Vaughn is a very likable character, and then you got Rip Torn who dishes out insults just as well as Seargent Hartmman did in "Full Metal Jacket" (1987). Add hilarious, yet pointless cameos from the likes of Lance Armstrong, William Shatner, David Hasselhoff and even CHUCK NORRIS no less. "Dodgeball" just gets funnier every time I see it.Final Verdict: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and... Dodge. 7/10. It's a highly re-watchable kind of silly.