Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
aka: Underdogs

sports comedy
directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
featuring : Ben Stiller - Vince Vaughn - Christine Taylor - Justin Long - Stephen Root
running time : 1 hour 32 minutes
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story revolves around amiable underachiever Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn), whose rundown gym, Average Joe's, is populated by a less-than-average clientele including a self-styled pirate, an ultra-obscure sports aficionado, and a pining high school nerd. Despite Average Joe's posing little threat to Globo Gym, a fitness Goliath owned by White Goodman (Ben Stiller), Peter's humble recreation center becomes a subject of much controversy when Goodman learns of his competition's less than meticulous bookkeeping. Determined to expand his empire, Goodman hires attorney Kate Veach (Christine Taylor) to initiate a hostile takeover of the gym. Peter's ragtag group of regulars, however, are less than thrilled with the prospects, and mobilize a showdown, winner-takes-all Dodgeball tournament against Globo Gym. The film also features Missi Pyle, Rip Torn, Stephen Root, and Alan Tudyk.

Dodgeball is a success thanks to its cast and its smartly structured screenplay. Vaughn, is an agreeable underachiever, Stiller plays outright unlikable for the first time in a film, Root continues to show why he may be the most underappreciated comic actor working, Torn steals every scene he is in, and Gary Cole does a comedic pas de deux with Jason Bateman as a pair of sports announcers that rivals the similar duo from Best In Show. The film keeps the audience engaged by utilizing different kinds of comedy and performers with very different styles. Like the old joke about the weather, if you don't think something in this film is funny, wait five minutes and it will change. Because Thunder has tightly structured his story on the very familiar theme of underdogs, the film can support the comedic styles of the various performers. Like a good jazz composition, the screenplay supports the various performers as they solo and challenge each other. Make no mistake, this is a very slight film, but it succeeds at the most basic level for a comedy it produces laughs without hitting the audience over the head.