Com a Bola Toda

Picked this up on DVD for £3 ($6) - didn't know anything about it We thought it one of the funniest films we've seen for some time. Thought I'd check out the rating and was surprised how low (6.6) it was. Then checked out some of the "Hated It" comments to see why this could be I guess that a lot of people find this film offensive, with stereotypical attitudes - like how a bisexual woman could kiss both a man and a woman (an extraordinary observation). Or that it was unfair to poke fun at someone who spent all his waking hours dressed up as pirate. I think that comment came from a member of the Long John Silver Alliance.

Lighten up! Comedy - like any other artistic endeavour is subjective - all I can say is that I laughed and found that at many points the jokes were coming faster than I could process them - always a good sign.

A good combination of slapstick humour and smart-ass comments delivered at a rapid pace And an ever-popular theme: will the underdogs triumph? Watch it and find out

Go and see it. It's one of the best comedies of the year and a lot funnier than it should be given the flimsy premise. Ben Stiller has a big 'Globo' health club worth millions (it even includes cosmetic surgery facilities - they know that 'fatness is genetic, like baldness or necrophilia'). The lovely Christine Taylor is his lawyer, charged with getting rid of the 'Average Joe' gym across the road so they can build a parking lot for Globo customers. She takes a liking to the 'underdog' owner of the Average Joe gym though, and helps them in their plan to win a Dodgeball contest in order to get the money they owe. Dodgeball is an 'obscure' sport that mostly consists of throwing a ball to hit your opponent (look it up on the Net - Dodgeball fans take it quite seriously!) Even when I describe the film, I think 'it sounds awful' - I probably would have avoided it if it hadn't been recommended so highly - and I recommend you stay till the *very end* of the credits for one of the best scenes (which also takes a swipe at the US film-making industry!)

When average Joe's gym, run by Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) is under threat of take over by White Goodman (Ben Stiller), La Fleur and his gym members must raise $50,000 to save it. The only way to do it is Dodge Ball, and with the help of a seasoned professional, maybe they have a chance.

Great characters, and a hilarious script make dodge ball a Hit, Ben Stiller's and Rip Torn's characters are particularly well written, but none of the characters fail to get a laugh, and there is a good blend of them on show.

Definitely worth a look for anyone who fancies a laugh. It's not a classic, but it doesn't fail to entertain with it's slapstick style.

7/10

Silly metaphor, I know. The film "Dodgeball: A true underdog story" while maybe be offensive at times, the film really brings it back up to place with the humor. You really can't help but laugh at the movie a couple times. Sort of like "Zoolander", another great flick with Ben Stiller, it's so stupid you've gotta love it. I would recommend this film for a good laugh. As of movie of the year or comedy of the year, no, this is not the film. But it was a good one to watch. A true film for any Ben Stiller fan, that's for sure. I will warn though, if you get offended easily, this maybe not the film for you.

8/10

What's funny about dodgeball? First, it's a movie about a group of non-competitive and somewhat eccentric adults playing dodgeball to save a not-very-impressive gym from the clutches of a competitive monopolistic chain gym. Second - Ben Stiller. Stiller is over-the-top and hilarious as the evil nemesis of average Joe Vince Vaughn. Vaughn - playing the slightly less than average Joe owner of Average Joe's gym, plays the perennial hard luck loser to the hilt. The supporting cast is terrific. Alan Tudyk, Rip Torn, Christine Taylor and Stephen Root are a great ensemble.

This is a rather extreme and rather Hollywood camp comedy. Although a lot of the humor is adult, the film is also refreshingly clean compared with the averaged 21st century comedy. Dodgeball also doubles as a spot-the-cameo film, since a whole host of odd celebrities pop up here and there throughout.

The first time I saw this film, I was charmed and I laughed a lot. Although the film remained entertaining, like most comedies it lost a bit of its luster in its second viewing.

Why only a 6 rating? Despite the campiness and good solid humor, this is still a very formulaic film and it does tend to vaporize after a viewing or two.

Strongly recommended - for one viewing!