Why It Ranks
Dodgeball is the funniest underdog sports comedy of the 2000s. Stiller's villain is all-time. 'The five D's of dodgeball' became a cultural catchphrase. It grossed $168M on a $20M budget. Rip Torn's Patches O'Houlihan is comedy gold.
The Film
Dodgeball is a comedic masterpiece that asks the immortal question: 'If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.' Vince Vaughn leads a ragtag gym team against Ben Stiller's preening Globo Gym owner in a dodgeball tournament to save their local gym. Stiller's White Goodman is one of the great comedy villains. Patches O'Houlihan's training methods are legendary. The film turned an elementary school game into an international sport.
Fun Facts
The original ending had Average Joe's losing — test audiences hated it so much they reshot the finale.
Ben Stiller's fat suit in the post-credits scene weighed over 40 pounds.
Rip Torn improvised many of his lines as Patches O'Houlihan, including the wrench scene.
The film actually increased interest in competitive dodgeball leagues across the United States.
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