Product: Dodgeball/Borat Bonus Preview Disc (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Right you are about the Ocho!
In many ways, "Dodgeball" is exactly what you think it's going to be: a slob comedy in the classic mold (like "Stripes" or "Caddyshack"), with the snobs vs. the slobs. And "Dodgeball" delivers plenty of laughs along those lines. Despite all of the broad physical humor, "Dodgeball" manages to throw in a number of very subtle and dry gags, and has a lot more intelligence than you might think.However, "Dodgeball" takes a while to get moving. The first 20 minutes are so lifeless and devoid of comedy that we almost kicked the DVD out of the player and abandoned the rest of the movie. I'm glad I didn't, because the remainder of the movie is laugh-out-loud funny. The problem is not Vince Vaughn, but his character and the way he's directed. You never get the feeling that the character really cares about keeping the gym, so you don't get too invested in whether he wins the dodgeball competition or not. Further, Vaughn, who is an excellent actor who has plenty of comedic energy, just doesn't display it unless Ben Stiller is on screen with him. This suggests that the fault lies with the director, who seems like he wanted Vaughn to play it a bit too laid back. What the role needed was the energy of a Bill Murray or Chevy Chase who can do laconic without being listless, and I'm afraid the director just didn't get that.Jason Bateman steals the movie as the stoner co-anchor of the dodgeball broadcast. If you've ever seen "Arrested Development," you'll laugh twice as hard, because this character is the exact opposite of Michael Bluth. Bateman would have been a good choice for Vaughn's role as well.The deleted scenes and alternate (original) ending were pretty good. I actually prefer the original ending, which is truer to the characters, but I understand why the studio freaked out.Kudos on the Curtis Armstrong cameo! And you will also enjoy Shatner in his best role since James T. Kirk.