I've had this sitting on my shelf for ages and have only just managed to get it watched. I am so glad that I have because I have sooooo been in the mood for a simple comedy made up mostly of laughs at men being hit - left, right and below centre with dodgeballs.
The Basic Plot
This film is a pretty standard story of 2 competing teams - The Average Joes and the Purple Cobras - who both end up taking part in the finals of the Las Vegas dodgeball championships to win a grand prize of $50,000. The Average Joes need the money to stop their small backstreet gym being taken over by The Globo Gym which is a top of the range sporting facility and wants the site as a car park.
Although the plot is pretty predictable, along the way their is loads of side splitting comedy mainly made up of pain being caused but with some excellent one liners too.
The Director/Writer
Dawson Marshall Thurber - New to this sort of thing he appears to have done a good job in getting the cast to give their all in this movie. In the feature, hidden away in the language section of the extras on this dvd, its difficult to tell whether or not the cast are joking as they describe how difficult he was to work with and how they will never do it again.
The Cast and their Characters
Vince Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur who runs the run down gym which is in big financial trouble but has a bunch of what can only be described as strange but loyal supporters who refuse to see it close down. He truly cares about them but finds it hard to see a way out. Has a bit of a thing for the bank lady who is working to see him close and gradually works his charm on her.
Vince Vaughn, I feel, is a master at this type of comedy role and has had plenty of success since this was made in the form of Wedding Crashers as well as joining Brad and Angelina in Mr and Mrs Smith. He has a special
way of combining reality with the ridiculous and this helps immensely in this type of role.
Ben Stiller is the baddie in this movie playing White Goodman, an old rival of La Fleur's who not only has a state of the art gym but also preaches to people that beauty is skin deep and only perfection is acceptable. He arranges for people not only to work out but to solve their 'problems' by the use of plastic surgery. He badly wants to buy Average Joes to turn it into a parking area and doesn't care who he hurts in the process. Selfish and stupid, you are dying for him to get his comeuppance.
Ben Stiller not only co-stars in the this film but helps on the production side of things too. He is made to look very different in this film and I must admit I may not have instantly recognised him, had I not already been aware he was in it. Stiller has had much success in his career and is well known as Greg Focker in Meet The Parents, the guy who seems to make everything go wrong as much as he tries not too. Recently he has been voicing Alex in Madagascar and I believe there are plans for a sequel in the future.
Christine Taylor plays Kate Veatch who is the bank lady of both the rival's dreams. She doesn't however enjoy the attentions of Goodman and no matter how many insults she throws at him, he keeps coming back for more. On the other side of the gyms she has a bit of a soft spot for La Fleur which develops throughout the film although there is a bit of twist at the end. She ends up as part of the dodgeball team after losing her job and the rest of the guys realise what a strong thrower she is.
Some of you may recognise her as Holly from the Wedding Singer where she played alongside Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore or playing Bonnie (the girl with the shaved head who dated Ross) in Friends. She plays the part of the clever but sporty girl well and delivers the comedy lines extremely well. Sometimes onscreen romances can be hard to picture but she makes this one with La Fleur seem very realistic.
Rip Torn is fantastic as the Average Joe's coach Patches who was once a star dodgeball player. In a wheelchair now he teaches the team members that it is not only important to dodge the ball, but also wrenches and this certainly helps the players learn to jump out of the way. His unorthadox methods certainly start to pay off though when the team realise that there is a chance of winning with hard work and the ability to follow the 5 Ds of dodgeball - Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge.
The rest of the Average Joe's team are:-
Dwight, a know it all played by Chris Williams.
Gordon, has a mail order bride who thinks he's a loser played by Stephen Root.
Owen, a man who unexpectedly finds love on the opposing team played by Joel Moore
Justin, a failed cheerleader who wants to win the girl and takes a lot of painful hits along the way played by Justin Long
Steve the Pirate likes to pretend he's a pirate which can mean he is the brunt of a lot of jokes, played by Alan Tudyk (Sonny in I Robot)
Purple Cobra team members are:-
Me'Shell Jones played by Jamal Duff
Fran the love interest for Owen played by Missi Pile
Blade played by Rusty Joiner
Lazer played by Kevin Porter
Blazer played by Brandon Molale
There are also good performances along the way from Gary Cole and Jason Bateman who work wonderfully well together as the commentators and have some of the best lines in the film. A brief and surprising appearance by Knight Rider favourite, David Hasselhoff is one to keep your eyes peeled for. The role he plays - The German Team Coach. Very Funny.
Favourite Moments
All the hits in the face/genital area shots are hilarious - I know its all been done before in lots of different ways but dodgeball is a violent sport and seeing people hurt in this way does bring out the sadist in me.
The failed attemps by White Goodman to win Kate's affections are brilliant especially the porch scene.
Justin's tryout for the cheerleading team is excellent and the look on his face when his lovely partner tells him she's not wearing underwear just before he lifts her is priceless.
The qualifying game against the all girl troop is good as they resort to dirty tricks to beat the Average Joes.
The costume that they have had specially made for the finals is a real eye opener.
There are loads of extras on this dvd:-
The feature I already mentioned about first time director Rawson Marshall Thurber is surprisingly in the Language section.
There is a commentary which can accompany the film with comments from the Director as well as Stiller and Vaughn.
There are a whole list of deleted or extended scenes:-
Cardio Cowboy - very funny Gordon asks for divorce Justin and Amber see Derek before cheerleading finals The Dirty Sanchez Fran and Owen in Bed - my favourite on this section Kate's Porch Justin and Amber Kiss Shane Triangle Three Way Kiss Fat White Gordon pizza slices burning
There is also an alternate ending with the losers actually winning.
Featurettes
Dodgeball Boot Camp - all about the training that prepared the actors for this gruelling shoot.
Anatomy of a Hit - What makes the perfect funny hit? This feature shows what sources of pain make us laugh the most.
Justin Long Study in Ham & Cheese - See the pain this guy went through while making this film.
Dodgeball, Go for the Gold - See the actors make a pitch for this sport to be part of the next Olympics
More with the Dodgeball Dancers - One for the blokes here as we see the 6 ladies gyrate in pink bikinis, in blue babydoll outfits and black basques and stockings around poles as water pours down on them. Bit tacky for the ladies out there but the men will enjoy this one.
Bloopers and Gag Reel - Some funny moments where lines are forgotten, mispronounced or just ignored.
Lastly on the extras is the cinema trailer for the film.
All in all this 90 minute film gives you all you would expect from an underdog comedy movie. It is excellent value for money at the minute as you can get this from Play for only £5.99. It is one of the funniest films I have seen in a long time and the inane jokes and one liners kept me laughing all the way through as well as there being some satisfaction at the end which I won't give away. Let's just say one of the characters true colours come out.
I will leave you with one of my favourite lines from the film and it is delivered by Rip Torn fantastically whilst watching the guys train. "You're about as useful as a cock-flavored lollipop." This is one for many ladies to remember I think.
Pictures of Dodgeball - A True Underdog Story (DVD)
The Teams
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Production Year: 2004 - Comedy - Director: John Hay - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jimi Mistry, Kate Miles, Dougray Scott
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
An excellent review on a really funny and entertaining movie. Sure, it is predictable, childish humor... but it's good fun !! I think the Hasslehoff cameo was fantastic... he is a character you can really laugh at !! Scott xx
tallulahbang 25.01.2006 20:36
I loved this film - you're right, you can't beat watching blokes get smacked by dodgeballs. xx
How's this for impressive trivia:Dodgeballfaced off againstThe Terminalin opening-weekend ... more
competition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber aced Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in US box-office millions. That's no mean fe...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
How's this for impressive trivia:Dodgeballfaced off againstThe Terminalin opening-weekend ... more
competition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber aced Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in US box-office millions. That's no mean fe...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
You'll dodge, duck, dip, dive...and laugh out loud watching Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller ... more
settle their differences in a winner-takes-all dodgeball competition. Under the painful tutelage of legendary ADAA champ Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn), Peter LaFle...
![Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story [DVD] [2004]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78492284.jpg "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story [DVD] [2004]")
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