So-so movie with standard issue plot and a few laughs

Rating: 6/10 (8 September 2005)

I saw Dodgeball last night, and I have to say - it's not that good. I'm not a big Ben Stiller fan to start with, and he thoroughly overplays his part in this movie.
There's nothing special in the plot either. Vince Vaughn plays the owner of Average Joe's - a slacker hangout/"gym" where a bunch of misfits (of course) hang out. Stiller is White Goodman, owner of Globo Gym, the big corporate gym across the street that wants to tear down Joe's to make it a parking lot. The movie borrows a lot from others in it's genre, most notably Kingpin and UHF. Fate lands them in a dodgeball tournament, with the top prize being enough money to buy Average Joe's out of default.
I could tell you how it ends, but it's not like you can't guess. Most of the performances are mailed in - actors like Stephen Root and Gary Cole are wasted on one liners and stupid facial expressions. This movie is OK, but I won't be buying the DVD any time soon.