A raunchy underdog comedy that no one expected, just watch it on Netflix

by Jonathan Klotz
| Published 18 seconds ago

Every now and then, a movie comes out and is an instant hit. These days, it seems like there’s another surprise streaming hit every week, but back in 2004, movie theaters were still hugely popular, and we had a string of comedies that would dominate AIM conversations for weeks and months on end.

Dodgeball It had such a ridiculous premise that no one took it seriously, not even when the trailers revealed it was Vince Vaughn versus Ben Stiller, and no one could have guessed just how dirty the movie was underneath its glossy, family-friendly veneer.

I was able to watch Dodgeball Before its release at a staff screening at the AMC theater I worked at in 2004, surrounded by other college students, we weren’t expecting a movie that sneaks in Dirty Sanchez, Darkball Dancers, and a never-ending stream of innuendo, all while maintaining a PG-13 rating.

This meant that the next day, while tickets were being sold to families, we could do nothing but laugh behind the counter at what these kids were about to see. Then again, most kids don’t know what Vince Vaughn’s Peter La Fleur means when he explains that if you’re really lucky, you might have two loves in your life.

Vaughn’s La Fleur is the owner of Average Joe’s Gym, which is located across the street from Globo Gym, owned by White Goodman (Legs posereturns it to him Heavy weights A camp counselor with a different name), and through a series of very unconnected events, they end up fighting in a dodgeball tournament broadcast on ESPN 8 (The Ocho!). Taking dodgeball seriously is one of the best gags in the movie, and every time the plot manages to find a way to get even dumber, there’s a quick shot or visual trick that will have you laughing, shrugging, and just going along with the normal people.

Part of the reason the film works so well is the stacked cast that seems like a killer row of actors, including Vaughn and Stiller Justin LongAlan Tudyk in what is still one of his greatest performances as Steve the Pirate, Stephen Root, Missi Pyle, Rip Torn, Gary Cole, and Jason Bateman, among a slew of cameos best left as surprises. If there are any names you don’t recognize, you’ll recognize the face. Dodgeball It is a celebration of the underdog, both on screen and off, which is why its success surprised everyone.

Its $168 million box office gross is only part of the story Dodgeball exploded on the DVD, resulting in the five D’s, “If you can dribble the wrench, you can dribble the ball”, and “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for them”, being quoted almost as often announcer. ESPN even turned ESPN8 (The Ocho!) into an actual channel for a few days each year, broadcasting sporting events and sports-like events, from the Wisconsin Auction Championships to the Bike Polo and Pillow Fight Championships.

Dodgeball It knows it’s a stupid movie, there’s literally a Deus Ex Machina, but it’s the kind of PG-13 comedy that knows how to sidestep the line by engaging in wordplay and visual gags, so there’s a lot of clever humor bogging down the entire production. Today, it’s a time capsule back when Hollywood studios weren’t afraid to take risks and dared to make big-budget comedies. They especially would never make one that included the line: “I watched a grown man satisfy a camel.”

Dodgeball It’s now streaming on Netflix.

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