Movie Review :: Dodgeball

Movie Review :: Dodgeball
Posted :: Jul 21, 2004 by Haggs

Written By: NightWatchman
Dodgeball: A true underdog story
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 8/10

Most comedies have a very predictable story line, hilarious actors, and tricky and magical coincidences that lead the ‘good guys' to victory over the ‘bad guys'. Well Dodgeball is exactly like most comedies: it delivers a lot of laughs and it isn't aimed at any age group in particular. There are jokes and scenes for anybody here, ranging from Lance Armstrong's cameo to seeing Christine Taylor in a leather suit, to Ben Stiller's gross jokes for the younger kids.

The movie starts of showing what Average Joe's gym is like, though the name kind of says it all; it's a crappy, run-down warehouse filled with outdated equipment with messages along the walls saying stuff like "its okay to be fat its what's inside that matters." You also meet Peter La Fleur (Vaughn) owner and manager of Average Joes who serves as the 2nd most hilarious character in the movie, after Stiller. Peter La Fleur is a very laid back man. He really has no worries in this world and isn't looking to achieve anything in life. He serves as a councelor, personal trainer, and sometimes babysitter for the geeky and nerdy characters that hang out at Average Joes. Next door to Average Joes is Globo Gym, a multi million dollar gymnasium owned by White Goodman (Stiller). White is the villain and is seeking to buy Average Joes and monopolize the entire gym industry. White also serves as the butt of most of the jokes in the movie, and you can expect a lot of laughs any scene he is in. Christine Taylor plays the beautiful lawyer whom White hires to ‘spy' on Average Joes though she is only trying to do her job and doesn't really care for Goodman's plans.

This is a great movie to see with pretty much anyone of any age. There really isn't anything that would tick off your parents too much and there isn't anything that would make little kids scream. This movie isn't groundbreaking or a laugh-your-butt-off comedy, but it is a very enjoyable movie. I would throw it in the "have-a-good-time-for-a-couple-of-hours" section. Also, if you enjoyed Zoolander like I sure did, you will definitely love this movie. Ben Stiller does a great job of playing that rich-brainless-guy that thinks he can control the world.