The Benchwarmers

I saw this movie the other day. And I was pleasantly surprised. It amazes me that people come on here and complain about these type of movies like it is the worst movie ever. I like Rob Schneider and David Spade. I have liked many of the Adam Sandler movies also. This movie is from the same production companies of Sandlers movies. And I must say it is better than most of their recent offerings. I laughed out loud about 10 times and laughed silently many more times. Laughing out loud is something I generally don't do. My review is mostly for those of you that have liked some of the Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, or David Spade movies. I think this movie was better than Anger Management, Mr Deeds, The Longest Yard, The Animal among others. It was very funny at times and it was cute also. Rob Schneider was the man of the group. He played it is the athlete in the group and the leader of the team of misfits. David Spade played a nerd in David Spade style. And Jon Heder was good as a Napolean Dynamite guy with a little more energy. Sure this movie has it's flows especially in the storyline. Like if Rob Schneider is so much better than Heder or Spade why did the other teams not just walk him.....things like that. But take this movie as it is.....it is better than most Happy Madison productions of late. Schneider, Spade, and Heder fans don't ignore this movie because of comments by people who don't like them to begin with.

I honestly didn't think there could be anything more lacking in entertainment and humor than "You Me and Dupree" until I saw "The Benchwarmers." Struggling to produce an over-the-top comedy, this laugh-less comedy only gets by on Stone & Parker (but light)-styled gross out humor as possible to compensate for the stupid story about the nerd population's ultimate revenge over their bullies: a semi-little league baseball championship. Did 13 year-old comic book geeks write this lame material? In this nonsense story, Rob Schneider takes the lead in a more serious version of his well-meaning Deuce Bigalow role. He is somehow talked into starting up a baseball team called "The Benchwarmers," a trio consisting of him, David Spade, and Jon Heder (repeating once again, in very weak form, his Napoleon Dynamite character). They come to represent the nerds because basically, each of them gets picked on by pre-teen brats and their coaches who challenge them to a game. Soon enough, they mark their fandom among the nerds as heroes, and Jon Lovitz as some multi-billionaire promoter shows up with all his gadgets and promotes the team. The winner of the baseball championship is given a free state-of-the-art stadium. Even I love stupid humor comedy, but a stupid story coupled with terrible acting (way to deliver those lines like you're reading from the script, gang), and dumb jokes, this is, if not the worst movie ever, than certainly the worst movie produced all year.

I was so moved by the complete awfulness of this movie that I actually wrote up a comment on IMDb - the first time I have done so. My girlfriend and I spent the movie in a state of shock looking at each other from time to time to reaffirm that yes, we were witnessing the worst movie we have ever seen. Jon Heder fails to move on from Napoleon, yet also fails to recapture any of the humor of his previous performance. Never again will I go to see a movie with him in it based on the excellence of his performance in Napoleon Dynamite. He built up credit which he has now thrown away. Oh dear.. Weak jokes, clichéd slapstick, attempts at coarse humor that a 5-year-old child could beat, implausible plot line. Absolutely nothing to recommend this movie. I can only think that the positive comments for this movie are execs for Happy Madison desperately trying to leverage IMDb's popularity into some kind of buzz. Avoid this movie.

I had the pleasure of winning free tickets to a screening of this movie. As far as normal comedies go, I didn't give it a high rating. Some of it was just plain disgusting. Mostly it was funny. The actors did well, and in my opinion they all changed from their normal type characters. It's definitely worth the time to watch it. The audience in the theater got all involved and connected to the movie. We laughed, we gasped and at least 3 times, we all clapped for the characters and applauded at the end of the movie. It was a great atmosphere! You leave the movie feeling good and proud. When we walked out, a lady asked what my favorite part was, but I couldn't pick, it was all good, I liked the whole thing! The thing I really like about this movie is that despite it being a comedy, it teaches a lesson and makes you want to be a better person. I would definitely recommend this to friends and would see it again in a heartbeat.