Two parts Baseketball, One Part Kingpin

Rating: 5/10 (3 January 2005)

I have never seen a more unoriginal movie in my life. Every single joke, gag or pun in Dodgeball is blatantly and openly stolen from another movie. And this really, really bugs me. However I did laugh constantly and it was enjoyable.
Though I must confess my hatred of Ben Stiller and his insistence to crank out 200 unfunny films a year (a schedule typically reserved for porn stars). Initially, I hated Vince Vaughn and liked Stiller. But now that's kind of flip-flopped. After Vaughn's funny performance in Old School I warmed to him but Stiller is under the impression that everything he does is funny. He certainly is not; anyone can act like a jerk.
The plot is old hat. But Vaughn's ragtag group of losers and their determination to win the Dodgeball tournament is the real laugh machine. Though I was constantly thinking about how they worked much better in Baseketball or Kingpin.
Asides from Vaughn and the so-not-funny anymore Stiller the cast is good. Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan is amusing (though he did the exact same role in Summer Rental), Stephen Root (that's Bill Dauterive for all you King of the Hill fans) was my fave and there's plenty of cameos from the likes of Hank Azaria, Jason Bateman, William Shatner, David Hasselhoff and Chuck Norris.
Funny it may well be but expect practically every laugh to come with a heavy sense of Déjà vu. I wouldn't bother buying the DVD when it comes out. Just watch Baseketball and Kingpin side by side on 2 TVs and you'll end up watching this.
And trust me, if ESPN 8-The Ocho, was a real channel, I'd be watching it every day.