You know the story...a bunch of sad sacks, with questionable self-esteem, lack of personal hygiene, play some kind of sport. The team sucks...and then they get a new coach and totally rock the game....well forget that.
Average Joe's gym is a whole in the ground. None of the questionable members have paid their dues in a few months and neighboring fitness guru White Goodman (Stiller) wants to bulldoze the gym to make a parking lot for his patrons. He hires Kate (Taylor) to go through the Joe's financial situation. Owner Peter LaFleur (Vaughn) knows his gym is in trouble and annouces to his miscreant crew: high school loser Justin (Long), nerdy Gordon (Root), awkward Owen (Moore), Dwight (Williams), and the pirate named Steve (Tudyk), that the gym is closing. Unwilling to let the gym go, they learn about a Dodgeball competition that has a monetary reward. They borrow training videos from the high school where they learn about Dodgeball (see above quote).
After talking Kate into joining the team they enter the National Dodgeball competition, and even manage to get dodgeball legend Patches O'Houlihan (Torn) to coach them. But unfortunately for them, Goodman's Globo Gym enters the competition as well, with more muscle and attitude than the Joe's have in a single pinky. Who will win? Who will find love? Will those girl scouts wipe the floor with the Joes?
The first time I saw this I wasn't impressed: yes, I laughed, but it didn't seem like much. This isn't the typical sports film, as I described at the beginning. It isn't a classic underdog story or even a classic...but you can completely relate. Remember playing dodgeball in school? Overall the characters are relate-able (well except White and cohorts, but this is a Ben Stiller movie...you expect over the top performances) and while it may not be the great triumph of good and evil, it is still an entertaining story.
Dude, it's quotable: now I've only seen it on TV when they cut things out, but there are some fascinating lines. And check out the fascinating cameos.
Rent it: or follow my example and wait till it hits cable next
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) 92 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for rude and sexual humor, and language.
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring: Vince Vaughn as Peter LaFleur
Christine Taylor as Kate Veatch
Ben Stiller as White Goodman
Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan
Justin Long as Justin
Stephen Root as Gordon
Joel Moore as Owen
Chris Williams as Dwight
Alan Tudyk as Steve the Pirate
Missi Pyle as Fran
Jamal Duff as Me'Shell
Gary Cole as Cotton McKnight
Jason Bateman as Pepper Brooks
Average Joe's gym is a whole in the ground. None of the questionable members have paid their dues in a few months and neighboring fitness guru White Goodman (Stiller) wants to bulldoze the gym to make a parking lot for his patrons. He hires Kate (Taylor) to go through the Joe's financial situation. Owner Peter LaFleur (Vaughn) knows his gym is in trouble and annouces to his miscreant crew: high school loser Justin (Long), nerdy Gordon (Root), awkward Owen (Moore), Dwight (Williams), and the pirate named Steve (Tudyk), that the gym is closing. Unwilling to let the gym go, they learn about a Dodgeball competition that has a monetary reward. They borrow training videos from the high school where they learn about Dodgeball (see above quote).
After talking Kate into joining the team they enter the National Dodgeball competition, and even manage to get dodgeball legend Patches O'Houlihan (Torn) to coach them. But unfortunately for them, Goodman's Globo Gym enters the competition as well, with more muscle and attitude than the Joe's have in a single pinky. Who will win? Who will find love? Will those girl scouts wipe the floor with the Joes?
The first time I saw this I wasn't impressed: yes, I laughed, but it didn't seem like much. This isn't the typical sports film, as I described at the beginning. It isn't a classic underdog story or even a classic...but you can completely relate. Remember playing dodgeball in school? Overall the characters are relate-able (well except White and cohorts, but this is a Ben Stiller movie...you expect over the top performances) and while it may not be the great triumph of good and evil, it is still an entertaining story.
Dude, it's quotable: now I've only seen it on TV when they cut things out, but there are some fascinating lines. And check out the fascinating cameos.
Rent it: or follow my example and wait till it hits cable next
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) 92 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for rude and sexual humor, and language.
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring: Vince Vaughn as Peter LaFleur
Christine Taylor as Kate Veatch
Ben Stiller as White Goodman
Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan
Justin Long as Justin
Stephen Root as Gordon
Joel Moore as Owen
Chris Williams as Dwight
Alan Tudyk as Steve the Pirate
Missi Pyle as Fran
Jamal Duff as Me'Shell
Gary Cole as Cotton McKnight
Jason Bateman as Pepper Brooks
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