Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (June 17/04)

Viewers with a low tolerance for Ben Stiller would probably be well advised to keep away from Dodgeball. Writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber allows Stiller to indulge in all his favorite over-the-top mannerisms and ticks, which is either a good thing or a bad thing (depending on your appreciation for the actor's work). Stiller hasn't been this flat-out enjoyable since his days on The Ben Stiller Show, and for his fans, that's reason enough to check out the film.

Stiller stars as White Goodman, the owner of a successful gym who's trying to strong-arm his closest competitor out of business (he wants to turn his establishment into a parking lot). Said competitor, Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn), is ready to give up and give into Goodman when his regulars come up with the idea to participate in a Dodgeball tournament. What follows is one of those underdogs-must-overcome-adversity type of sport movies, except the sport this time around is Dodgeball.

There's not much here worth taking seriously, and that's exactly why Dodgeball works as well as it does. Thurber fills the movie with oddball and inexplicable moments of humor, and as a result, some viewers will likely be scratching their heads wondering just what's supposed to be so funny. It's clear that Thurber's been influenced by shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy, what with his predilection for obscure celebrity cameos and quick cutaways to a recalled event.

The film's cast has a lot of fun with the material, though none are quite able to keep up with Stiller and his antics. Vaughn is very good as the film's hero, effectively stepping into the shoes of a leading man for the first time outside of a drama. It wouldn't be a Vaughn performance without sarcastic comments and witty asides, and the actor certainly doesn't disappoint on that level.

The supporting roles have been filled by an eclectic mix of performers, including Rip Torn as a grizzled coach and Alan Tudyk as an athlete who thinks he's a pirate. As good as they are, the film's scene stealers are undoubtedly Gary Cole and Jason Bateman as mismatched announcers (Cole plays a legitimate broadcaster, while Bateman's character seems to be on drugs).

The bottom line is that Dodgeball is just silly fun, and it's one of the more entertaining films to be released this summer (which is a little depressing, when you think about it).