Movie Review: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Dodgeball, A True Underdog Story is a movie that is deeper than it seems. There is much more to this movie than meets the eye. It is full of archetypes and is very well written. The problem is that it doesn't deliver the full order at the end of the movie.

Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller play rival owners of local gyms. Stiller's character, White Goodrich, is a buff guy who wishes he was smarter and wittier than he is. He has serious feelings of inadequacy, which make the character both funny and painful. Vaughn owns the gym "Average Joe's" which is rundown and is on the verge of closing. Stiller's character is trying to buy out the gym, as he feels illogically threatened by Vaughn.

The movie plays to the most basic audience intelligence. Much of the comedy is physical, with some wittiness and comedic delivery coming from the headliners. What is interesting is that the characters' names and the classic good versus evil archetypes are so obvious! In fact, at the end, when the good guys have won miraculously and Vaughn's character made a bundle of money on the final game of dodgeball, his winnings are delivered in a chest labelled "Deus ex machina", a clear homage to the absurdity of such an ending.

The acting in this film is as good as you would expect from a film with such a silly original idea. Vaughn plays essentially the same role he always plays: a wry, sardonic, wise-cracking and over-confident average fellow. He somehow gets the girl, although this is a fairly unrealistic accomplishment, but we'll take it in this film. Stiller steals the show as an over-the-top body builder who can't seem to see beyond his biceps. Supporting cast each fulfill their archetypal roles well, adding humor and heart at appropriate times.

Also, the film pushes the envelope just a little too much in the hopes for a reaction from the audience. There is no motivation or reason for the female lead to do what she does at the end of the movie, it is merely pandering to some male audience members' base desires.

In the end, Dodgeball is a renter, but not an owner. It is funny, especially when Hank Azaria shows up in an old dodgeball coaching film, but it is nowhere near as cult-classic in abilities as Zoolander. So spend the couple bucks to rent this flick, but don't go out and buy it.