hysterical IF you like stupid-funny

Rating: Null/10 (19 June 2004)

As I'm prone to being obsessive, I've of course already seen Dodgeball. I must warn you, if you don't like homoerotic humor, puns (which I don't usually, but they're so obviously bad and knowingly bad that i loved them), and humor that's derived solely from people being pegged in various body parts by big rubber red balls, this is not your movie. It's an utterly stupid, asinine movie, and I left the theater with a huge grin on my face and my sides hurting from laughing so much. The theater was full of people laughing, and guffawing at particularly hard hits, and it made it a wholly wonderful experience. Ben is utterly hysterical in this character. Vince is as well, in his usual acerbic sharp quick tongued way that he's perfected. Christine is absolutely gorgeous and hilarious. It's all around hysterical, but only if you're willing to leave any portions of your brain that wants intellectual humor at the door.
That being said, the writer is wonderful. The word play, the dialogue, the commentators for the dodgeball commentary... wonderful. Seriously wonderful writing. I have no doubt that should the writer (whom I'll be looking up now that i've reminded myself to) decide to do a movie that's less based on 'stupid humor' that he'll turn out a wonderful script that's hilarious on that level as well. I don't know how much of it is the writer or how much is the adlibbing, but if it's the writer, he's extremely talented.
And I have to say, Jason Bateman is one of the commentators for the tournament, and while there are many many one liners that are quotable in this movie, I'll be quoting him the most I think. He was wonderful. "Ouch-town, population YOU, bro!"