All those complaining about Hollywood becoming infantile could point to one of the manifestations of that phenomenon in a box office hit which happens to deal with a sport most people never think about after leaving elementary school. Infantile or not, some of those films can be entertaining, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, 2004 sports comedy, written and and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, fits that criteria.
Plot is set in Los Angeles, where Peter La Fleur (portrayed by Vince Vaughn) owns dilapidated fitness centre frequented by colourful misfits. His business is facing bankruptcy and teeters on the precipice of foreclosure, after which is all but certain to be sold to White Goodman (played by Ben Stiller), a self-proclaimed health guru, proprietor of neighbouring corporate gym and Peter’s archrival. The only way for La Fleur is to prevent this is to form a dodgeball team and win the prize on the dodgeball tournament in Las Vegas. Goodman reacts by setting up his own team against which La Fleur and his friends don’t stand a chance. But things change when La Fleur gets in touch with legendary dodgeball coach Patches O’Houllihan (played by Rip Torn).
Anyone expecting some profound meaning in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story should look somewhere else. For Thurber, the medium of sports film parody is nothing more than opportunity for the series of gags based on as much toilet humour as PG-13 rating will allow. However, thanks to his capable direction and what seems to be a very enthusiastic cast, most of those gags work. Although the script sticks to clichés – including La Fleur’s romantic interest, played by Ben Stiller’s wife Christine Taylor – some of creative decisions were very fortunate, mainly with the casting. Stiller, embodying his antagonistic role with zealous abandon, proves a fitting counterpart to Vaughn's reserved portrayal of the protagonist. Ultimately, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story presents a delightfully irreverent take on the sports film genre, proving that even the most trivial subjects can serve as fertile ground for laughter and entertainment. Although the film's embrace of cliches and superficial humour leaves little room for introspection or substance might present many examples of everything wrong with 21st Century Hollywood, delightfully irreverent take on the sports film genre proves that even the most trivial subjects can serve as fertile ground for laughter and entertainment. There are films more deserving to be avoided by the audience.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
(Note: Original version of the review is available here.)
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