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You're reading a really old version of matt-thornton's website. For example, if you're looking at the movie reviews... you'll notice that none of them are of recent films. Indeed, I leave them here for posterity's sake, but I doubt very much that they'll get updated anytime soon. So have a giggle.

You might, if you're lucky, find something recent from Matt at his blog matt's debates. Kernow bys vyken.

Dodgeball

the verdict:

I made the mistake of watching another of his films this weekend, one that'd been recommended to me as being hilarious. Dodgeball. The premise? Ben Stiller is some egomaniac megalomanic (that's two maniacs folks) gym owner who wants to buy the small struggling gym across the street to build a car park. Sympathy vote for the small gym, the nice guy owner (Vince Vaughn) and the 5 or so losers who visit the gym. They need $50k in a month or they lose the gym to matey across the street. How do they do this? They enter a Dodgeball tournament with a cash prize of $50k. Blah blah etc. guess what happens (and he even manages to get the pretty girl in the process). The ending is pretty sweet and all's well that ends well. Victory for the underdog, evil corporation gets sunk.

But it's not a great film. It's a stupid film, but not in a funny way. Ben Stiller is predictable and boring. He's the epitomy of the stereotypical chauvinist (with weird porn star style facial hair to go with) which is, quite frankly, tired and boring. In a similar vein to Envy, the film relies on one gag. In Envy it was poo, in this, it's people being hit (in the face/arse/bollocks... wherever) and knocked over by quasi-basketballs. It's almost funny the first time, but the 487th time it's just not.

Don't believe the hype and only rent this if you're really that bored.