Surprisingly good comedy

Rating: 7/10 (29 July 2008)

The supreme pinnacle of the fitness industry is GloboGym, owned and operated by large-haired, small-brained fitness fascist White Goodman (Ben Stiller). Next door is the pitiful competition: Average Joe's, a run-down, homely gym run by amiable slacker Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) who is always ready with a little advice and encouragement for his misfit gym members and who is quite prepared to let people pay their fees a little late.
Unfortunately, Peter's lack of business acumen means that his gym is in foreclosure, and unless he comes up with £50,000 dollars in one month his gym will be bought by White Goodman and bulldozed to make way for a new car park. Determined to save Joe's, Peter and his friends enter a dodgeball tournament where first prize just so happens to be £50,000 dollars, and find themselves an efficient (but completely nutty) coach in the shape of former dodgeball champion Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn). But White discovers their intentions and the fun really starts when he puts together his own team of champion dodge-ballers to thwart Joe's ...
I remember this movie being something of a sleeper hit, and can see why: there's something for everyone in terms of humour, from straightforward slapstick (usually with a wrench) to classic verbal sparring. Vaughn is the calm centre to the film, wisely playing it straight amongst his oddball team (Steve the Pirate is my particular favourite) Rip Torn is suitably OTT, but scenery-mastication honours must go to Stiller, easily delivering his funniest performance since Mystery Men. The plot is straightforward and you can see the end a mile off, but a number of fun cameos and a continual stream of jokes keep the laughs coming. Just plain fun.