Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
A true underdog story.
Grab life by the ball.
Grab Life by the Balls (Australia)
Peter LaFleur is a charismatic underachiever and proprietor of a rundown gym called Average Joe's. The facility's ecclectic clientele of decidedly less-than-average Joes is comprised of: a self-styled pirate; a scrawny nerd who dreams of impressing an unattainable cheerleader; an obsessive aficionado of obscure sports; a dim-witted young man; and a cocky know-it-all who, of course, really knows nothing. Peter's humble gym catches the eye of White Goodman, the power-mullet-sporting, Fu-Manchu-d, egomaniacal owner of Globo Gym, a gleaming monolith of fitness. White intends to take over Average Joe's, and Peter's non-existent bookkeeping is making it all too easy for him. A foreclosing bank has stationed attorney Kate Veatch inside Average Joe's to finalize Globo's takeover of the gym. But Peter's boyish charms win her over and Kate joins his team of social rejects to beat the odds—and their own ineptitude—to try to save Average Joe's. How? A showdown dodgeball competition against Globo Gym.
| Rip Torn | Patches O'Houlihan |
| Ben Stiller | White Goodman |
| Vince Vaughn | Peter La Fleur |
| Stephen Root | Gordon |
| Christine Taylor | Kate Veatch |
| Chris Williams | Dwight |
| Justin Long | Justin |
| Joel Moore | Owen |
| Alan Tudyk | Steve the Pirate |
| Missi Pyle | Fran |
| Jamal Duff | Me'Shell Jones |
| Gary Cole | Cotton McKnight |
| Jason Bateman | Pepper Brooks |
| Hank Azaria | Young Patches O'Houlihan |
| Al Kaplon | Tournament Referee |
| Rawson Thurber |
| Rawson Marshall Thurber |
6.60 out of 10 (31912 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Do not DODGE this movie!! It's not mary!
posted on 20 Aug 2009This movie is good but it's no SOMTHING BOUT MARY!! However, I did LAUGH at a lot of the scenes.The funny parts were when White would TALK and say STUPID things that really MADE NO SENSE.The NOT FUNNY PARTS were the "mushy" parts that were played out between the love interests. However, with THAT being said, this movie delivered a laugh or three. I would not cast Ben Stiller in this role because it was just not real. How did they MAKE HIM SO SHORT? I like VINCE VAUGHN in this role. He had a few good laughs. I hated that pirate. However, the movie was STOLEN BY STEVE ROOT!! yes, the man who plays BILL from KING OF THE HILL!! He delivered more goods in this MOVIE THAN ANYBODY!!
hysterical IF you like stupid-funny
posted on 18 Aug 2009As I'm prone to being obsessive, I've of course already seen Dodgeball. I must warn you, if you don't like homoerotic humor, puns (which I don't usually, but they're so obviously bad and knowingly bad that i loved them), and humor that's derived solely from people being pegged in various body parts by big rubber red balls, this is not your movie. It's an utterly stupid, asinine movie, and I left the theater with a huge grin on my face and my sides hurting from laughing so much. The theater was full of people laughing, and guffawing at particularly hard hits, and it made it a wholly wonderful experience. Ben is utterly hysterical in this character. Vince is as well, in his usual acerbic sharp quick tongued way that he's perfected. Christine is absolutely gorgeous and hilarious. It's all around hysterical, but only if you're willing to leave any portions of your brain that wants intellectual humor at the door.That being said, the writer is wonderful. The word play, the dialogue, the commentators for the dodgeball commentary... wonderful. Seriously wonderful writing. I have no doubt that should the writer (whom I'll be looking up now that i've reminded myself to) decide to do a movie that's less based on 'stupid humor' that he'll turn out a wonderful script that's hilarious on that level as well. I don't know how much of it is the writer or how much is the adlibbing, but if it's the writer, he's extremely talented.And I have to say, Jason Bateman is one of the commentators for the tournament, and while there are many many one liners that are quotable in this movie, I'll be quoting him the most I think. He was wonderful. "Ouch-town, population YOU, bro!"
Dumb and stupid "guy humor".... but hilarious!!!
posted on 16 Aug 2009Okay, it's not 'art', but "Dodgeball" was consistently funny and kept me giggling throughout. Vaughn's dead-pan to Stiller's over-the-top bully was fantastic. Yes it followed the traditional "sports underdog" formula but it made fun of the formula as it was going along, so you knew they were in on the joke too.This is probably not a date-movie, and I would probably suggest sneaking in a beer (if you can), but I was laughing from beginning to end, and it was good light-hearted summer entertainment without computer-generated super-heroes or villains. Check it out!By the way, be sure to stay until the end of the credits for an "extra feature" from Ben Stiller... very funny!!!! :)
Very fun and funny comedy!
posted on 16 Aug 2009Dodgeball is a very fun and funny comedy.Ben Stiller is a great actor for comedy.The movie is very predictable but I laughed a lot on this movie and it kept me fun.I liked a lot Stephen Root's and Rip Torn's performances,both in supporting roles.I think that Dodgeball is a parody to sports.While the movie's credits are finishing there's a great and very funny scene,so don't take out the DVD.Dodgeball is a very predictable movie,but very fun and funny and with some great performances.If you wanna have a funny time,don't doubt in watching Dodgeball.Rating:7.5
Dodge work, go see Dodgeball!
posted on 14 Aug 2009This movie will make you laugh harder than you have in years. And definitely stay thru the end of the credits for a "special treat!" By the way, did anyone else think that Ben Stiller as "fat White" looked a lot like Ron Jeremy?Yes, it's a silly slapstick movie. You know that going into it though... why are you so surprised? (If you want an award-winning movie... ummm....) Absolutely brilliant though in appealing to its core young male audience - expect Dodgeball leagues to now spring up all over America! Great performance by Christine Taylor (what an arm!), "Steve the Pirate" and another great "office-space" like role for Stephen Root. Yes the entire movie is silly but don't we go to the movies to escape reality?
Pure, over the the top Stiller humor. Think of it as Jock-lander.
posted on 12 Aug 2009If you like Stiller, you'll love this. I've seen this several times on cable, and I'll watch it again if it is on. (I watch TV in the background while I work at my computer) To me it falls into the category of movies that you can watch piecemeal, pick it up anywhere and just enjoy it scene by scene. It's funny stuff. I don't understand how people try to compare this type of movie to a major drama, or mega action movie. This movie is neither, and those who judge this by those standards are probably the same people that drive a huge SUV by themselves everyday to work, or try to move a mattress by strapping it to the roof of a little compact car. This movie is a cheesy frat humor flic, and hits that target perfectly. By the way, it only cost 30 mil to make, but pulled in four times as much at the box office. That is a good return on investment. Yes, it may seem like an SNL skit, but a really good one, with very good execution, and perfect editing. It's got a good pace to it, and there's little sub-references here and there to keep it interesting. For example, there's a banner that says "Go Balls Deep" over the playing court. Another one is "Deus ex Machina", which is a reference to ancient dramas where something sweeps in and saves the day. In this movie it's a treasure chest full of cash. And of course, William Shatner as a game judge, doing a little 'Kirk' voice style in the locker room. And a cameo by Lance Armstrong giving Vince Vaughn the required "You can do it" speech, except instead, he give him a sarcastic 'I sure you won't regret this for the rest of your life" line. =================Minor Spoiler Below======================The characters are well cast, and the do the best with what they've got. It goes without saying, that there is a showdown, and the underdog saves the day, get the girls, and the bad guy is sent packing. (That's never happened before...I can't believe I just labeled that as a spoiler)I liked this movie, I laughed many times, I still laugh when I see it, or remember certain scenes.This is the a 'Zoolander' for Jocks. Much funnier than Fokkers, or Wedding crashers. Performance:7 Story:5 Comedy:8 Flow:8 (Flow is a combination editing and pace.)
Funny, Worth Seeing!!
posted on 12 Aug 2009Vince Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur, a man who is down on his luck and is the owner of Average Joe's Gym. However, Vaughn is about to have his gym taken from him and sold to the competition, White Goodman played by Ben Stiller and Global Gym. Vaughn has to raise $50,000 to stop Global Gym from making Average Joe's Gym into a parking lot. In order to get the money they decide to play dodgeball. Stiller learns of their plans and tries to stop them by entering a team into the tournament. Rip Torn is excellent in this film. Rip Torn plays Patches O Houlan, coach for Average Joe's Gym and ex-dodgeball player. Besides Rip Torn, I also liked Ben Stiller's portrayal as White Goodman. Average Joe's team also consists of a geek, a nerd, a man who thinks he is a pirate and Christine Taylor. However, the movie is a little predictable, but overall I gave the movie a 8 out of 10.
The joke gets very old, very fast
posted on 02 Aug 2009DODGEBALLRATING = 3/10. A group of losers try to save their gym through a dodgeball tournament. The laughs are all based around someone getting hit extremely hard through physical humor. The joke gets very old, very fast. If you enjoy watching someone in pain, you'll enjoy this movie.The GOOD. Ben Stiller's character is funny to look at. A creative idea for a story. The mock ESPN color commentators reminded me of the great scenes from "Best in Show." Some creative cameos to make you smile.The BAD. Throw the ball; hit someone in a painful place; REPEAT. (Gets old fast.) The pirate character concept was quite lame.
For a certain kind of people
posted on 02 Aug 2009First off, I would call this a stupid comedy. And I don't mean the movie was horrible, I just mean it is the kind of comedy that has people saying stupid things that make you laugh. It is very much like Zoolander (comparing it to another Ben Stiller stupid comedy) with its humor, just with dodgeball and not models. For the most part, the dodge-ball plays out as believable except for *SPOILER WARNING* the final throw in the end, in which the Vince's character hits Ben's character while blindfolded after doing a matrix-esqe dodge. *END SPOILER*. The plot is likable but has places to be improved on. It is by no means the greatest movie of all time, and people who don't like stupid comedies will quickly throw is out the window, but for those who enjoy Ben's other works, I think they will find it good.7/10
Stiller makes it fly
posted on 29 Jul 2009OK, this might be a paint by the numbers, summer flick. You have the routinegood guys vs. bad guys. You have the "if only we could win this tournament, we could...." Yes, in that respect, this film is not creating anything too new. However, where this film succeeds, where so many others like it fail, is due to the great Ben Stiller. Stiller plays an outrageous, narcissistic, borderline homosexual, bad guy. When Stiller is on the screen, laughter abounds. Somewhat strangely, he is not on the screen as much as you think he would be. This movie is told around Vince Vaughn's character, who is trying to hold on to his sleepy little gym, which is being threatened for takeover by Stiller's "Globo-Gym." Vaughn reluctantly agrees to enter a dodgeball tourney to win the $50,000 Grand Prize. Of course, $50,000 is the exact amount him and his oddballs that call the gym home, need to keep it. Well, it is a summer Hollywood film, so you can guess what happens. There are some really nice cameos here and the film is entertaining. Is it as brilliant as "Zoolander"? No, but it is better than "Starskey and Hutch." I guess that is something.
Its' fun, so enjoy it!
posted on 29 Jul 2009A group of, dare I say it, misfits, have to win a dodgeball competition in 30 days to make $50,000 in order to save their gym from being taken over by the (expletive deleted) rival next door. Not you average premise, but this ain't your average comedy. I got exactly what I expected from this film; a good laugh and a large slice of ham. But it was also cleverly done too. Yes, I've got a puerile sense of humour, and so does this film. But so what? The story's ludicrous, but perfectly constructed. The performances are oft times baffling, but just the right side of silly. And what can I say; I laughed! And that's what a comedy's supposed to do. Don't listen to the nay-sayers on this site. If you liked Dude, Where's My Car, and you don't take yourself too seriously, you'll like this film.
Eh, it had its moments
posted on 21 Jul 2009Not an overly funny movie but it has its moments, and almost all of them involved Ben Stiller.Unfortunately, most of the movie will have you shaking your head as you think of what could have been if they had only put a joke that was remotely entertaining in there. Basically this movie has an onslaught of jokes, all of different caliber so everyone who sees it will laugh at something even if they find the rest of the movie simply idiotic.This movie is all over the place with its jokes and acting, but remains fairly watchable. If you have nothing better to do, go ahead and see it.rating 6/10
Very silly but fun despite the odd patch of misses
posted on 03 Jul 2009Peter 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.
The best film for a good laugh
posted on 29 Jun 2009This is one of my favourite films ever! I know that might sound bad, but this is an unbelievably funny film. It might not be to some people's tastes or type of humour, but I enjoyed it so much!!! Some people do not like it, whereas others just love it. I even went out and bought the DVD and I can still watch it over and over again. I loved Ben Stiller in this film, he really was a classic and probably without him the film wouldn't have had the same comedic effect! However there are still plenty of other uniquely, strange and hilarious characters to enjoy and laugh out loud at! I had to be dragged to the cinema to see this film, because I thought it looked rubbish and was just another low-budget comedy, but how wrong I was indeed! Definitely not one to miss, I urge you to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hilarious & Goofy
posted on 29 Jun 2009If you want to laugh out loud, you must see this movie! It is funny, silly, out there, and just plain goofy. =) The plot is fun and predictable, but you can't beat the one liners and the jokes in this one.Vince Vaughn was a gas and Ben Stiller's role brought back memories of him picking on little kids in Heavyweights! hehe I really enjoyed it! Plus, it has a woman kicking butt in sports! Gotta love it!I recommend this movie for anyone who wants a good laugh and a silly time. ~Erin
Full of classic dodge/goofball hilarity (MINOR SPOILERS)
posted on 27 Jun 2009When I first saw the trailers for this one I was excited instantly. A chance to see Ben Stiller play something a little different than the normal character he seems to be stuck in, plus I am a big fan of Vince Vaughn. Well, for some reason this enthusiasm died once the movie actually came out.Then my buddy tells me it's hilarious and so today I took his word for it. He was absolutely right.Vince Vaughn plays a laid back kind of guy against Stiller's more aggressive conceited jackass. The teams they lead are both full of wacky characters and there are many funny bits throughout the entire film. The supporting cast, comprised of a few unknowns, were perfect in the parts they played.Overall, the only negative thing I could say about "Dodgeball" would be Ben Stiller's performance. It seemed to me that he was trying to steal the spotlight from Vaughn. He just goes a little too far over the top here (although he does have a few great scenes and some classic lines, and if you stick around after the credits you will never think of the Milkshake song the same way again as long as you live).Vince Vaughn definitely owns this one. His chemistry with Ben Stiller's real-life wife would be something Ben might want to keep in check, if you know what I mean. His Existential attitude shines in this roll and i could really relate to his apathy.I would recommend this movie to anybody who likes movies like Happy Gilmore, Major League, Rudy, or Radio.
I laughed so hard it hurt
posted on 21 Jun 2009Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is simply hilarious. The film stars Vince Vaughn as Peter La Fluer, the owner of Average Joe's Gym. Peter's gym is, however, is going under and being bought there next door neighbor, Global Gym. In charge of Global Gym is health freak White Goodman (Ben Stiller) who has sought only to buy Average Gym. Along with Peter are his good friends Gordon, Owen, Justin, Dwight, and Steve the Pirate who are all determined to save the gym.Seeing it as there last option, they enter a dodge ball tournament in Las Vegas. The dodge ball scenes are all hilarious from Pack 417 to the Break Dancing Dodgeball team I was crying it was so funny. Vince Vaughn is funny and is able to bring the sense of a man being down on his luck while being funny at the same time. However, Ben Stiller takes the movie into the hilarious film it is. Being so determined to one-up Peter, Ben Stiller makes no sense in what he says and what he does, I fell out of my seat laughing watching the bar scene. Rip Torn, as there coach is probably the second best only to Stiller. With such great scenes as the wrench dodging scene, you'll find it impossible not to laugh.Christine Taylor is also in the film as the only female dodge ball player on Average Joe's. She isn't exactly funny but she does bring some quality acting. What was so surprising to me, though, was the way the writer was able to write so much simple comedy and make it absolutely hilarious. The cameos are over the top with appearances by Lance Armstrong, Chuck Norris, David Hasselhof, and William Shatner and make the movie even more silly. But no matter how silly, how stupid it got it continued to be funny and passed a good hour and a half.Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Starring: Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Rip Torn, Christine Taylor, and Alan Tudyk.4 1/2 out of 5 Stars.
Actually enjoyable..(I know...I couldn't believe it either)
posted on 17 Jun 2009So really, it IS funny to see someone get hit in the face with a dodgeball. Really. Rawson Marshall Thurber (who?!) wrote and directed this little number with quite some flare, bringing Stiller to the screen as an annoying uber-gym owner, and Vaughn as the 'obviously going to win' underdog. It was refreshing to see a slapstick comedy without as many crude gags as is the norm nowadays, and although there were a few, it's kept to a minimum and I was grateful for this. I admit, I was expecting utter crap, but was pleasantly surprised. Much of the humour present here is a result of people getting hit with dodgeballs or wrenches (yes, wrenches) but since this is a movie, and therefore NOT real, it's OK to laugh (probably). This movie's heart is in the right place, and although I'm not saying this is the best movie I've ever seen (far, far, far, far, far from it), it IS enjoyable, light-hearted, amusing, and just downright fun. What more can you want? It's a solid popcorn movie.7/10
absolutely positeively awesome! 10/10
posted on 15 Jun 2009i loved this movie. from start to finish there's a seemingly unlimited amount of funny things happening. its about a small time gym entering an international dodgeball tournament to win the money and use it to save their gym. It s a true story too, well based on one. the cast is awesome and my fave character is patches, he says some real funny things. The dodge ball scenes are action and comedy packed, and sometimes real painful, you'll see when you watch it, and when i say when, i don't mean if. it is inevitable that you will watch this film, as it is one of the best films ever made*****10/10*****
I'm a Masterpiece Theatre Lady, but.......
posted on 24 Aug 2009I'm a Masterpiece Theatre lady, but a friend gave me a copy of "Dodgeball". I loved it! Of course,I had seen Stiller, Vaughn and the others in every thing from "Mary" to " Zoolander", but Dodgeball is THE funniest! Every time you watch you see something new( and hilarious) that you missed previously. I bought the movie and lent it to buddies at work. Before you know it, we we're quoting sections of dialogue when we saw each other in the hall. At a meeting, when one employee was being negative, we looked at each other, and someone whispered( loudly) " If you can dodge a wrench...!" This movie needs to hit the big screen again so we can do a Rocky Horror to it. Gar... I'll dress like Steve the Pirate!