Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IGN (2024)

"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball," says dodgeball legend Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn) to a rag-tag group of misfits who are attempting to form a championship dodgeball team. Words to live by. No matter how many times I've heard those words in the preview, they still cracked me up when I saw it on film. That's an achievement. Beyond that, those words and that moment are far from the funniest part of the film. That is to say that this is not a movie that gives every funny moment away in the preview. That would be impossible, because then the preview would have to be nearly as long as the feature itself.
In Dodgeball, Vince Vaughn plays Peter Lefleur, your typical washed up loser: living in a sloppy apartment, months behind on his bills, close to losing his gym, Average Joe's, Lefleur has apparently coasted by on his looks and charm up to this point in his life. Both are close to running out. Vaughn's Average Joe's gym is the direct antithesis to posh gyms like Spectrum, 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's and, in the case of this film, Globo Gym. Vaughn runs his gym for the regular guys. His gang of misfits includes Steve the Pirate (Alan Tudyk), who really thinks he's a pirate; Gordon (Stephen Root), a connoisseur of obscure sports and spiffy workout gear; and Justin (Justin Long), a high school loser who is determined to become a cheerleader to impress the head cheerleader. Lefleur learns that his gym is in danger of being overtaken by Globo Gym's proprietor and chief motivator White Goodman (Ben Stiller). The foreclosing bank has sent a pretty blonde named Kate Veatch (Christine Taylor) to overlook Lefleur's scattered records and finalize Globo Gym's takeover. When Lefleur learns that he owes $50,000 in back taxes, he is about ready to give up until Gordon notices an ad in his latest copy of Obscure Sports Quarterly for a Dodgeball Tournament where the top prize is, you guessed it, $50,000.

The premise is nothing new. A gang of misfits rises up to strike back against the ultimate opposing and seemingly unbeatable force. From David vs. Goliath to more recent examples like Bad News Bears, Major League and another Vince Vaughn modern classic, Old School, we've all seen this at least a few times before. Dodgeball's strength is that it is simply not content with resting simply on this old premise. Instead, the set-up serves only as a jump-off point for some of the best and most original humor since directors Wes Anderson and Todd Phillips first came on to the scene.

The cast is pitch perfect, from Vince Vaughn as the reluctant leader to Ben Stiller's ridiculous pumped-up fitness guru. Vaughn and Stiller play off each other so well, with such a relaxed flow to their humor that the laughs they garner seem effortless. Vaughn has always excelled in this kind of work, perfecting the funny charming guy who really doesn't try to be funny. He's good looking, cool and he knows it. But he pulls off these roles in a way that makes him also work as the everyman, the hip guy that everyone gets along with. With Dodgeball and Old School, Vaughn has perfected this almost inexplicable skill for deadpan humor.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IGN (1)

Stiller has always been genius at creating great characters. White Goodman is one of his best creations. For fans of The Ben Stiller Show, Goodman is reminiscent of some of his best character creations on the show. Goodman is funny because he doesn't know he is. He's full of himself and egocentric, but he's also completely self-aware and lacking in self-esteem. He's a loser who tries to hide behind his ripped abs and feathered mullet wig. He's such a ridiculous character that many of the film's laughs derive from his own oddity. Vaughn's facial reactions to Stiller's Goodman just crack me up.

Even with great leads like Stiller and Vaughn, Dodgeball couldn't be the success it is without its exceptional supporting cast. Christine Taylor is quickly proving to be one of the best women in comedy. After Zoolander, it's great to see her back again. Dodgeball gives her a broader range to work with and she clearly deserves to get work outside of movies with her husband. Justin Long is a comic talent who is already gaining a loyal following. I never saw the TV show Ed but I've heard scores of raves for his work there. He's great in Dodgeball and his comic abilities get a nice showcase. Stephen Root is a comic god in my mind. I loved him on NewsRadio, his voice work is among the best and his performance as Milton in Office Space was a master stroke. He is again great in Dodgeball. For the coach of the dodgeball squad, Rip Torn is the best choice imaginable. He is just awesome as Patches O'Houlihan. Before his arrival in the movie, Dodgeball is just funny, but he brings the film to greatness.

Dodgeball marks the much needed arrival of a talented new comedy director named Rawson Marshall Thurber. Thurber wrote the script on spec and eventually attracted the interest of Ben Stiller's production company Red Hour. Thurber previously directed the comedy short Terry Tate: Office Linebacker; Dodgeball is his feature debut, which is pretty damned impressive. The script is incredibly tight. It knows exactly what it is and it never sinks to be less or struggles to be more, the usual failing points of this kind of movie. Dodgeball mocks itself and mocks its own sport, but Thurber also has an evident love of sports and sports movies. Sure, the dodgeball scenes have great laughs, but they are also fun to watch and very well orchestrated. As real dodgeball leagues are springing up across the nation, I'd have to imagine that dodgeball enthusiasts will be enthralled as well. I'd like to think that Dodgeball will go on to be for dodgeball what Slap Shot has always been for hockey.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IGN (2)
Comedies never get the acclaim they deserve. While Dodgeball may be a hit, it will never be even a distant thought when it comes to awards. Great comedies are so rare and so hard to make, much more so than they are given credit for. It's time that comedies like this get a respect beyond the laughs and the success. Okay, that's enough gushing, but I just can't help it. I loved Dodgeball. The film is funny, the characters are great and I'm really excited to see what else Thurber does. Oh, and make sure you stick through the credits for an extra bit that I think is fair to call The Greatest After Credits Bit... Ever.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IGN (3)

4.5 out of 5 Stars, 9/10 Score

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IGN (2024)
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