As my earlier review of Zoolander might indicate, I’m a huge fan of Ben Stiller so long as he does his best to be silly and over the top. Sure, he can get a bit too over the top at times, but most of the time he’s just ridiculous, in a good way. Dodgeball is a good example of this, as Stiller really steals the show in this freakshow of a comedy. His character, a narcisistic, stupid gym-owner, is nowhere near realistic or believable, just entertaining, just as intended. Of course, this isn’t what you might call high comedy (excepting perhaps two serious cases of deus ex machina — one of which even has that phrase written on it — although these might be too blunt to be anything but low), but rather emptyheaded slapstick.
The rest of the cast do alright performances, I guess, but I, for one, never really cared, as Stiller took all the spotlight.
Braindead entertainment, perfect to relax to after e.g. a long day of studying. 5.0/10.
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We’re like exact opposites. I loathe Ben Stiller when he’s over the top. He’s horribly un-funny when he tries all the time. In low-key parts, he’s okay, and his crazyness-slips will actually get funny if his character is not so outrageously silly to begin with. But when he’s over the top all the time I find him inane, tiresome and unfunny. I liked Dodgeball better than you did, and almot all I remember from it centres on the other characters…
12. November 2007 @ 04:31 ( Permalink )