Funny Movie

Rating: 9/10 (6 April 2006)

This movie really dismisses comic tradition to revel in fast paced humor and lowbrow situations. There are references to Austin Powers and to The Wedding Singer and Star Wars along the path to the surreal efforts of these supremely oddball adults, two of which have never even played baseball before. The three nerds named the Benchwarmers try to compete with powerful teams of veteran kids having a full set of players for each position. The movie is full of physical gags and gross humor throughout. However, much humor comes from the exaggeration of the awkwardness of its eccentric main characters. These guys, in fact, make the antics of the Three Stooges look like a Nobel Prize award ceremony. The Benchwarmers are the nerds of the ball diamond, who prevail even after falling behind 42 to 0. Then they find a billionaire sponsor who builds them their own baseball stadium, complete with a water park. Finally, the silliness of one gag after another gives way to the theme of the underdog getting his day. Those who are not up to speed overcome obstacles of awkwardness and ignorance and gain pride in learning new skills. It's kind of like life itself.