Once every few years, you're presented to a slapstick comedy so hilarious you instantly forget how LOW this form of entertainment actually is. I can't give a scientific explanation to state how come it's funny to see someone (preferably wearing glasses) getting hit in the face by a ball
it just is. Dodgeball is vulgar, crude and without substance
but your stomach will hurt from laughing and don't we all need that from time to time? In case you really want to defend this film, you can always say it features tons of unsubtle criticism towards modern American image of exaggerated health-obsession. Ben Stiller's character is the personification of the obnoxious fitness guru: 'We're better than you, and we know it'. Opposed to him, there's Vince Vaughn as the chilled-minded, lovable guy who owns a fitness center for the underdeveloped wimps. Due to his financial situation, he risks losing his gym to Stiller except if he and his teams of misfits manage to win the world-famous dodgeball tournament. The film is a series of cheap chuckles, eccentric characters and outrageous one-liners. It's pretty funny to hear Stiller yell out lines like: 'You're a skid mark on the underpants of society'. Or the always-amusing Rip Torn encouraging his team with the words: 'you're as useful as a cock-flavored lollipop'. The acting is great as it can be with Ben Stiller and Rip Torn who go delightfully over the top and lots of enthusiast cameos (Chuck Norris, David Hasselhof, William Shatner and even Lance Armstrong). It sure isn't Schindler's List but Dodgball is great entertainment and stress releasing.
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Coventry27 September 2004
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Smells_Like_Cheese12 January 2005Silly metaphor, I know. The film "Dodgeball: A true underdog story" while maybe be offensive at times, the film really brings it back up to place with the humor. You really can't help but laugh at the movie a couple times. Sort of like "Zoolander", another great flick with Ben Stiller, it's so stupid you've gotta love it. I would recommend this film for a good laugh. As of movie of the year or comedy of the year, no, this is not the film. But it was a good one to watch. A true film for any Ben Stiller fan, that's for sure. I will warn though, if you get offended easily, this maybe not the film for you.
8/10 -
Chris_Docker3 October 2004Go and see it. It's one of the best comedies of the year and a lot funnier than it should be given the flimsy premise. Ben Stiller has a big 'Globo' health club worth millions (it even includes cosmetic surgery facilities - they know that 'fatness is genetic, like baldness or necrophilia'). The lovely Christine Taylor is his lawyer, charged with getting rid of the 'Average Joe' gym across the road so they can build a parking lot for Globo customers. She takes a liking to the 'underdog' owner of the Average Joe gym though, and helps them in their plan to win a Dodgeball contest in order to get the money they owe. Dodgeball is an 'obscure' sport that mostly consists of throwing a ball to hit your opponent (look it up on the Net - Dodgeball fans take it quite seriously!) Even when I describe the film, I think 'it sounds awful' - I probably would have avoided it if it hadn't been recommended so highly - and I recommend you stay till the *very end* of the credits for one of the best scenes (which also takes a swipe at the US film-making industry!)
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MCETXCEM12 December 2004I just watched Dodgeball last night and I can't remember laughing so hard at a movie in years, from Vince Vaughn finally being cast as a person you can like to Rip Torn who is always at his best as the sarcastic coach who is full of colorful one-liners, and I didn't start out as a Ben Stiller Fan, but his movies have seriously picked up in quality lately
From the supporting cast and the cameo's everyone does a top notch job, Gary Cole is especially amusing as the sports announcer and his always missing the point sidekick, The Dim bulb Chris Klein type Dimwit on Vince Vaughns team adds to the hilarity, and Missy Pyle(What A Babe!!)
Forget what all the Negativity from the other reviewers state, this is a comedy, a comedy is meant to entertain, it is not Casablanca or the Producers, but it is not meant to be
(****) Out Of (****) -
mjw23058 February 2005When average Joe's gym, run by Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) is under threat of take over by White Goodman (Ben Stiller), La Fleur and his gym members must raise $50,000 to save it. The only way to do it is Dodge Ball, and with the help of a seasoned professional, maybe they have a chance.
Great characters, and a hilarious script make dodge ball a Hit, Ben Stiller's and Rip Torn's characters are particularly well written, but none of the characters fail to get a laugh, and there is a good blend of them on show.
Definitely worth a look for anyone who fancies a laugh. It's not a classic, but it doesn't fail to entertain with it's slapstick style.
7/10 -
mstomaso19 December 2005What's funny about dodgeball? First, it's a movie about a group of non-competitive and somewhat eccentric adults playing dodgeball to save a not-very-impressive gym from the clutches of a competitive monopolistic chain gym. Second - Ben Stiller. Stiller is over-the-top and hilarious as the evil nemesis of average Joe Vince Vaughn. Vaughn - playing the slightly less than average Joe owner of Average Joe's gym, plays the perennial hard luck loser to the hilt. The supporting cast is terrific. Alan Tudyk, Rip Torn, Christine Taylor and Stephen Root are a great ensemble.
This is a rather extreme and rather Hollywood camp comedy. Although a lot of the humor is adult, the film is also refreshingly clean compared with the averaged 21st century comedy. Dodgeball also doubles as a spot-the-cameo film, since a whole host of odd celebrities pop up here and there throughout.
The first time I saw this film, I was charmed and I laughed a lot. Although the film remained entertaining, like most comedies it lost a bit of its luster in its second viewing.
Why only a 6 rating? Despite the campiness and good solid humor, this is still a very formulaic film and it does tend to vaporize after a viewing or two.
Strongly recommended - for one viewing! -
g-bodyl28 February 2008This film is one of the funniest slapstick comedy ever. Ben Stiller was funny as always and Vince Vaughn was surprisingly funny. Stiller plays White Goodman and he is the snobbish owner of his up-to-the-style Globo Gym whereas Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur and he is the owner of Average Joe's. The gyms find out that there would be a dodgeball tournament held in a few weeks with a grand prize of fifty thousand dollars. Average Joe's need that money or else the gym goes to Globo Gym. The gyms ended up going and making it to the finals. But who wins? The movie will tell you that. All of the supporting actors were funny especially Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan. If you like Ben Stiller, you will like this movie. I rate this film a 10/10.
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RobTheWatcher28 October 2022Such a simple yet somehow so original and creative comedy. It's absolutely hysterically without forcing it or overdoing it while still maintaining a good story line. The actors are all great and complement each other with Vince and Ben being at their absolute best. The cameo characters were also all great little add ins as well. The writing for this was unreal funny and there as so many good and recognizable quotes from this. This truly is one of the best comedy movies I have ever seen and it still holds up today all these years later. Absolutely recommend watching this movie over and over again.
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I don't know why this movie takes such a bashing. I've seen some people complain that elements of it are offensive. But come on, the humour is clearly tongue in cheek.
Is it childish and immature? Absolutely. It's also a hilarious way to lose 90 minutes if you've had a rough or stressful day.
If you're analysing every detail in this movie to look for things to criticise, then you're doing it wrong. -
ethanbresnett14 March 2022Dodgeball is one of those comedies that does a perfectly decent job of entertaining you but is unlikely to blow you away.
There are some good characters with a very solid cast. Ben Stiller always puts in a shift, particularly when he has an outrageous oddball character play like he does here. Vince Vaughn is always watchable if rarely amazing. Christine Taylor was a great addition to the cast
The plot is nice and lighthearted and fun, although it does have some totally unnecessary tangents (a pointless teen romance and an unfunny pirate being the main two). Despite never being overly funny it is entertaining, with an entirely predictable story that is pretty safe. Although it is a tad dated in parts.
This is one of many comedies from the early noughties era that I'm glad are out there, because they always have a great cast and a distinctive comedy style that has a certain charm, but they rarely blow me away. A fun watch but nothing more. -
jswhip28 August 2005Worst film I've ever seen! It's not that I don't like slapstick humor, but it should at least make an attempt to be clever. Unless you're thirteen, this movie has absolutely nothing to offer. Within three minutes you know what is going to happen - losers get taunted by the bad guys, the dorks get the girl, and the losers beat the bad guys. Geez, what an original screen play.
Not one funny line (unless you possess a single digit IQ), no funny visual humor (unless groin shots some how still strike you as humorous).
Save yourself some time and give the clerk at Blockbuster four bucks and just leave without this piece of garbage. At least you won't have wasted and 90 minutes (years??) of your time. -
hrivnak25 June 2004I haven't laughed this hard at a movie in years. That's all I can really say about this movie. It's stupid, sure, but it's so hilarious, you don't care.
I could not stop laughing. There are so many jokes in this movie, you don't even have a chance to rest before the next one comes along.
Ben Stiller as the "evil" White Goodman -- it's a classic character that should go down in the annals of comedy greatness. The announcers for ESPN 8 "The Ocho" (Gary Cole and Jason Bateman) had me rolling in the aisles. Stephen Root is a comic genius as well, and Alan Tudyk as the random pirate (why? who cares!) was pure gold.
Oh, and make sure you stay till the end of the credits... Ben Stiller does a routine that's absolutely hysterical. -
wtbe75608 September 2005I saw Dodgeball last night, and I have to say - it's not that good. I'm not a big Ben Stiller fan to start with, and he thoroughly overplays his part in this movie.
There's nothing special in the plot either. Vince Vaughn plays the owner of Average Joe's - a slacker hangout/"gym" where a bunch of misfits (of course) hang out. Stiller is White Goodman, owner of Globo Gym, the big corporate gym across the street that wants to tear down Joe's to make it a parking lot. The movie borrows a lot from others in it's genre, most notably Kingpin and UHF. Fate lands them in a dodgeball tournament, with the top prize being enough money to buy Average Joe's out of default.
I could tell you how it ends, but it's not like you can't guess. Most of the performances are mailed in - actors like Stephen Root and Gary Cole are wasted on one liners and stupid facial expressions. This movie is OK, but I won't be buying the DVD any time soon. -
scarletminded3 January 2005I rented this film because the trailer looked very funny. The producers must have taken all the funny bits and put them into 60 seconds. After that, there was no fun to be had.
The funniest parts of this film were the ESPN graphics and jokes and Obscure Sports Quarterly, also a visual gag. The rest of the funny parts were stolen right from BASEbasketball-- the team names, the girls dancing in extreme costumes, the obscure sports idea-- but BASEbasket did it more original and more funny to watch. I highly recommend that over Dodgeball.
The movie feels like it was a SNL sketch that should have lasted 10 minutes yet was stretched to fit an hour and a half. The actors look like they were given a couple lines and then told to go for it. They look blank at times like they don't have anything funny to say. Basically if you like comedies where the characters and situations are just supposed to be hilarious and they are, like The Royal Tenenbaums, devoid of any jokes or humor beyond that. Maybe this has something to do with Ben Stiller, since he was in both films. That might be the case, since I did like Bottle Rocket and Rushmore.
I was brought up with the idea of comedies to either be satires or had a joke a minute thrown at you, like Airplane, the Naked Gun and South Park. A movie like Dodgeball moves slow because the characters, after they come into the scene and give you that one laugh, like the gym owner or the pirate guy, don't seem to have any more steam and the viewer is suppose to enjoy it for what it is. It seems to be the new wave of comedy film making and it isn't funny nor makes any sense. The jokes fall flat, like everything was improved and nothing was written down. Movies cannot live by improv alone. Take Timecode and movies like that....please.
Then, if you get the DVD, there is an alternate ending that made me laugh, not because it was funny, because it was so bad. I don't think the director knows how to make a movie. Rawson Marshall Thurber should go back to his day job!
I give this a 1, which is the lowest rating I have given any movie. If there was a 0, I would give it for my time wasted. I am glad I actually didn't see this in a theater. I would have asked for my money back. -
Peter La Fleur runs a second rate gym that is populated by non-paying members who are, shall we say, on the edge of society. Peter's relaxed existence is made difficult by the fact that a large gym across the road aims to shut him down. When the Average Joe gym receives its final warning from the bank, they face a 30-day deadline to come up with $50,000 or lose the gym to competitor White Goodman. After their initial ideas fail, they discover that the national dodgeball contest has a prize of that very amount with a little help from an ex-champion, they set out to make it to the finals and save the day.
This film came to the UK on a wave of hype and praise but I was a little wary because I knew that the style of humour that it has can be very hit and miss. The film has the same plot that all these sorts of sports movies have and you pretty much know where it is going from the very start but, to be honest, how many people have come here for the engaging story? No me neither! The humour is very silly and it will not appeal to everyone but I found it pretty funny with the out-of-the-blue stuff being the funniest; if you find it funny to hear the line 'thank you Chuck Norris' said with sincerity then this will be the film for you. It isn't as consistent as I would have liked because it does have a couple of patches where there are more misses than hits but generally I had a good hatful of laughs and, when not laughing I still had a smile on my face.
Of course, like I said, this isn't for everybody and I'm sure many will see it as a juvenile and it does seem to have been aimed at the young male side of the market. The downside of this is that the majority of the laughs are pretty basic and, as we are seeing too often recently, the old audience draw of girls kissing is wheeled out yet again. The casting also helps to a certain degree and do help a bit to cover the basic humour. Vaughn is cool and relaxed and, although you wouldn't call it 'acting' he is a likable lead. Stiller has a few dry moments but generally his 70's fitness freak steals every scene he is in. Taylor is pretty but you can't help feeling that the film is only using her when, for no reason other than titillation she is revealed as bisexual (with a girlfriend). Torn is funny if basic and Azaria is also funny. The support cast is more about off the wall characters than good writing or performances, but Long, Root, Moore, Tudyk and others are all OK. Cameos from Hasselhoff, Norris, Shatner and Lance Armstrong are all briefly amusing and, just like Best in Show, commentators Gary Cole and Jason Bateman do spot on spoofs of low-grade sports commentators and have lots of great lines between them.
Overall this is not the funniest film EVER, as some critics have absurdly claimed it simply isn't consistent enough for that accolade but it is still a pretty funny film if you are in the mood for silly humour and some pretty basic jokes. The use of easy draws such as female flesh, lesbianism and physical jokes is a bit of a downer when you think about it but I doubt many will complain when it is on. The cast generally do well and the material is funny and energetic enough to do the job, producing a silly film that is hardly memorable but will be fun while you're watching it. -
nicolerazz3 November 2020What more do you want in a comedy? It was enjoyable, made me laugh out loud a few times, left me feeling inspired and happy. Glad I watched this one.
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Well, here is yet another sleazy PG-13 modern-day comedy that also has genuinely funny characters and scenes. For those of us who care it's a shame we have have to put up with the bad stuff if you want laughs out of about any comedy made in the last 30 years....and this is a prime example. By the way, this is an "R" all the way, if any concerned parents are reading this. You need a computer to add up all the sex jokes in here and the last 30 minutes are really, really stupid. Both of those are typical, too. Yet, most of my friends said this was hilarious and to check the film out.
Prior to the typically-dumb ending are some very funny moments, mostly provided by Ben Stiller's over-the-top fitness guru, "White Goodman," a man who runs an ultra high-tech fitness center. Vince Vaughan plays the likable good guy small-gym owner who is in competition with Stiller, sort of like David against Goliath, the nerds against the jocks.....another formula that is so often used these days in comedies because it's always fun to see the little guy knock off the arrogant big jerk. Christine Taylor is the token young "hottie" that you also see in these kind of pictures: skinny, pretty, but not exactly the wholesome type.
Rip Torn almost steals the show as "Patches O'Houlihan," the old man who helps coach the underdog volleyball team using some unorthodox methods. I laugh every time I think of him. In fact, "Patches" puts the added edge in this film to elevate it slightly above a "fair" rating.
A lot of the humor in here is the improbableness of the whole story. Of course, it's an insult to anyone's intelligence but that's part of the charm and one does get a decent amount of laughs for an hour-and-half, so it's not all bad. -
roy-c20 July 2008Picked this up on DVD for £3 ($6) - didn't know anything about it We thought it one of the funniest films we've seen for some time. Thought I'd check out the rating and was surprised how low (6.6) it was. Then checked out some of the "Hated It" comments to see why this could be I guess that a lot of people find this film offensive, with stereotypical attitudes - like how a bisexual woman could kiss both a man and a woman (an extraordinary observation). Or that it was unfair to poke fun at someone who spent all his waking hours dressed up as pirate. I think that comment came from a member of the Long John Silver Alliance.
Lighten up! Comedy - like any other artistic endeavour is subjective - all I can say is that I laughed and found that at many points the jokes were coming faster than I could process them - always a good sign.
A good combination of slapstick humour and smart-ass comments delivered at a rapid pace And an ever-popular theme: will the underdogs triumph? Watch it and find out -
Flower_of_the_Lily29 July 2008The supreme pinnacle of the fitness industry is GloboGym, owned and operated by large-haired, small-brained fitness fascist White Goodman (Ben Stiller). Next door is the pitiful competition: Average Joe's, a run-down, homely gym run by amiable slacker Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) who is always ready with a little advice and encouragement for his misfit gym members and who is quite prepared to let people pay their fees a little late.
Unfortunately, Peter's lack of business acumen means that his gym is in foreclosure, and unless he comes up with £50,000 dollars in one month his gym will be bought by White Goodman and bulldozed to make way for a new car park. Determined to save Joe's, Peter and his friends enter a dodgeball tournament where first prize just so happens to be £50,000 dollars, and find themselves an efficient (but completely nutty) coach in the shape of former dodgeball champion Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn). But White discovers their intentions and the fun really starts when he puts together his own team of champion dodge-ballers to thwart Joe's ...
I remember this movie being something of a sleeper hit, and can see why: there's something for everyone in terms of humour, from straightforward slapstick (usually with a wrench) to classic verbal sparring. Vaughn is the calm centre to the film, wisely playing it straight amongst his oddball team (Steve the Pirate is my particular favourite) Rip Torn is suitably OTT, but scenery-mastication honours must go to Stiller, easily delivering his funniest performance since Mystery Men. The plot is straightforward and you can see the end a mile off, but a number of fun cameos and a continual stream of jokes keep the laughs coming. Just plain fun. -
bevo-1367829 March 2020I like the bits where they throw balls at each other. Especially when they hit people in the face. Sometimes they throw wrenches too
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Well what can I say? Hugely enjoyable, silly yes but manages to be enjoyable. Yes with a predictable story that occasionally loses its lustre and some flimsy gags and a number of clichés. But what makes it watchable is the hilarious script, the good-natured spirit of the film, likable and relateable characters and fun performances from Vince Vaughan(really cool in one of his better movies- and performances as well), Ben Stiller, Rip Torn and Hank Azaria with an amusing cameo from David Hasselhoff. The direction is also good, and the film is nice to look at with a cool soundtrack. Overall, not perfect but watchable and funny. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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jediduck9510 July 2005There was the 'Rat Pack', the 'brat pack'. Now there is the 'Frat pack'(made it up on the spot). The 'Frat Pack' consist of Ben Stiller, Will Farrell, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaugn, and some of their friends. These actors have their hold on Hollywood and they basically can do most comedy movies they want because they have can make a good amount of money doing these movies. Other Frat Pack movies include 'Anchor Man', 'Starsky and Hutch', and Old School'. I'm not saying these movies are terrible or i don't like the actors. It annoys me seeing the same actors playing the same comedic parts and the studio expects that just their presence should make us laugh.
I'm not trying to insult fraternities. I call them the frat pack because they appeal more to those guys.
I always enjoy a good comedy, but if the next 10 years is going to be comedy movies like this then i might just watch reruns of 'The Simpsons' or 'Family Guy' for comedy.
The game of dodgeball is humorous but it doesn't mean you should make a movie out of it. If anything, you should only use this story within an episode of a t.v. show (ex: South Park) instead of dragging two hours of this nonsense.
We are supposed to laugh whenever we see Ben Stiller while he plays one of his 'crazy' characters. He looks funny but his character gets real annoying real fast. I liked Stiller at one point but after 'Zoolander' and this movie, I'm starting to worry about his future (granted he's making more money now compared to when he was funny). We're also supposed to like Vince Vaugn but he plays the same 'takes no gruff' character. The pirate character was the most annoying of the cast. 'HA, HA, a man dressed up as a pirate in a gym. Excuse me while I change my pants'.
This story plays out the same comedic formula as most mindless comedies. I guess when you do a movie about dodgeball then you can't really do too much with it.
A lot of people apparently have seen this movie and liked it. So if you like pointless comedy that has no intelligence behind it then you will enjoy this movie. If you like a plot and some intelligence in a comedy movie then stay away from this one.
I'll probably skip the possible sequel 'Kickball', but from how much money they made from this one, I'm sure they're planning the sequel right now. -
A very silly comedy with a great cast and story about two competing gyms one of which with Vince Vaughns trying to improve with quirky characters the other being Ben Stillers group trying to out wit the good guys. Marshall Rawson Thurber directed a glorious mindless entertainment experience! I've seen Dodgeball at least 50 times it's enjoyable every time.
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richardchatten10 October 2021The presence of Ben Stiller usually promises fun and this crude and raucous but brightly coloured and basically good-natured cross between 'Rollerball' and 'Slap Shot' combines digs at the American need to win at all costs with a few nice ideas; such as the cute punch line given leading lady Christine Taylor.
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supergiantbugkiller29 July 2004I saw this after seeing Anchorman. Anchorman was unique, bizarre, funny and satirical.
Dodgeball tries to sell itself as somewhat of a parody of those typical underdog stories, and is full of talented people like Stiller, Stephen Root, Gary Cole and Vince Vaughn, among others.
Its just not funny. There are so many potential situations that I dont knwo why it didnt score. I even thinK i could have wrote it better.
Rent BASEketball instead. Its much more bizarre, makes more jokes from its token announce team, makes something more out of everything involving sports. the locker rooms, the uniforms, the mascots. In Dodgeball other than a cheap S&M joke and how funny Ben Stiller looks in his Cobras uniform, these sort of things arent touched upon. As well, the Dodgeball games are so short, its difficult to tell any funny stories with its characters or create any sense of drama whatsoever that might help deliver a joke or make anything out of the b-characters on opposing teams. BASEketball does all of this, and has some side stories that work as well.
The only character in Dodgeball that got any laughs for me was the Pirate character, and even he was taken out to early. Dodgeball is neither straight enough nor ridiculous enough. It is painfully mediocre and with the talent involved should have been much much better. Much better.