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Reviews
STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable 5 Stars
Excellent 4 Stars
Good 3 Stars
Poor 2 Stars
Tragic 1 Star

POSTER ART
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FILM DETAILS
Certificate
12A
Cast
David Spade
Jon Lovitz
Jumper Lark
Rob Schneider
Jon Heder
Craig Kilborn.
Directors
Dennis Dugan.
Screenwriters
Allen Covert
Nick Swardson.
Running Time
85 minutes

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The Benchwarmers
Jon Heder: what were you thinking?


Plot
Three grown-up losers, Gus (Schneider), Richie (Spade) and Clark (Heder), are inspired to form their own baseball team and play against the kind of kids who made their childhood hell. Financed by a local billionaire (Lovitz), they tour the country, trying to inspire sports dweebs everywhere.

Review
The Benchwarmers

Adam Sandler’s oeuvre, that strange mix of frat-house juvenilia, icky schmaltz and pent-up neurotic violence, has never really charmed the British, and though his involvement here is as producer only, this film is very much of a piece with the lower end of his output — meaning the likes of Little Nicky rather then Happy Gilmore.
 
Indeed, it’s hard to know where to start with a film that disastrously teams two of Sandler’s most similar protégés — Rob Schneider’s likeable loser schtick is all but cancelled out by David Spade’s lame puppy-dog routine — and throws them together with the much younger star of a one-off indie hit (Napoleon Dynamite), here simply playing the same stuttering goofball in a desperate attempt to attract that sleeper hit’s teenage following. The words “bad chemistry” don’t even begin to cover it.
 
The anti-bullying message is a weird one and Heder’s constant mugging adds an uncomfortable ‘laughing at, not with’, dimension. More crucially, this is one of those American sports movies that simply does not travel, complete with in-jokes about the Little League, the Major League and a cameo by baseball ‘legend’ Reggie Jackson. Aficionados of guilty pleasures aren’t encouraged to wait for the DVD: even Jon Lovitz with a Batmobile, a dwarf attack in a playroom, and David Spade’s best wig ever can’t save this mawkish misfire.


Verdict
An unfunny, unfocused sub-SNL baseball comedy that makes the likes of Joe Dirt and Deuce Bigalow seem vintage.


Reviewed by Damon Wise

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Your Reviews

Average user rating for The Benchwarmers
Empire Star Rating

LOVE IT

A great comedy and totally underated !!!!! ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by ryanchallenger at 15:50, 11 June 2011 | Report This Post


LOVE IT

A great comedy and totally underated !!!!! ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by ryanchallenger at 15:50, 11 June 2011 | Report This Post


Come On!!!!!

Why do they rate films shit? This film was absolutely fantastic!!!!! I love it! Its a brilliant comedy!! Nobody believe this empire review, Its not true. The film is fantastic!!! ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by MadMatty15 at 18:12, 08 September 2009 | Report This Post


Excellent Cast, Great Humour.

I really didnt want to watch this movie at first but, I heard about David Spade was going to be in it, and I am a big fan of his work in 8 simple rules, so I knew this was a movie I needed to see. His character had a hilarious witty humour. This movie was actually how I discovered Jon Heder, His character Clark was so loveable. and I thought he was the funniest out of the 3. This was a feel-good comedy, it had me laughing the whole time. The characters were very easy to relate to, Very Unde... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by AshleighSM9 at 11:10, 16 July 2009 | Report This Post


this film rules!!!!

Like comleyblockbuster said IGNORE THESE OTHER PEOPLE!!!! Because this film is great and is a must see!!! It got bad reviews from america to and my mind wonders why or why! I may not be the best person to judge this really as I am a little bias; due to the fact that I think both John Header and David Spade are comedy genious (and a bit hot!) but also that I have been following Rob's (I'm not even gonna try and spell his surname!) films for absolutly ages so to see them three teamed up is great f... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Empo at 12:43, 10 October 2007 | Report This Post


good game

1 star was too harsh for this movie, i mean it is stupid that its 3 men vs a whole bunch of kids but this movie was very funny. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by minotaur3004 at 07:58, 18 April 2007 | Report This Post


Underrated

I will admit that this film is not brilliant or even that funny, but it definitely did not deserve its killer 1 star review. Not only was it very funny in quite a few places, it had Jon Lovitz in a batmobile and David Spade's funniest wig. Its plot was also quite easy to follow and i think it was only me that, despite it being a plain and simple comedy, though it was slightly moving and dramatical in a couple of scenes, namely the dwarve in the basement. Okay, just the dwarve in the basement but... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by louandandy at 22:02, 07 April 2007 | Report This Post


Underrated

I will admit that this film is not brilliant or even that funny, but it definitely did not deserve its killer 1 star review. Not only was it very funny in quite a few places, it had Jon Lovitz in a batmobile and David Spade's funniest wig. Its plot was also quite easy to follow and i think it was only me that, despite it being a plain and simple comedy, though it was slightly moving and dramatical in a couple of scenes, namely the dwarve in the basement. Okay, just the dwarve in the basement but... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by louandandy at 22:01, 07 April 2007 | Report This Post


brilliant!!

ignore these other people, trust me this film is a winner!! it will go down along with anchorman, napoleon and many more. it is funny in fact hilarious! it will become another cult classic. The best line "That nerd makes me look like rambo", "no he doesn't" two grown up nerds talk about a 10 year old nerd...just class! ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by COMELYBLOCKBUSTER at 19:06, 19 September 2006 | Report This Post


Not A 1 Star Film

Saw this film while in the USA and it was pretty funny, well worth a watch if you like napoleon, deuce and joe dirt! The review is extremely harsh, if anything it made you want to play baseball and laugh at david spades characters agrophobic housemate who was brilliant! Good, fun, summer film! ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by onedeadman at 01:11, 11 June 2006 | Report This Post


I thought thsi produced enough laughs for it to become watchable, sure Jon Heder wasnt really far removed form his Napoleon Dynamite character, but hes still got alot to do as an actor, and maturing out of this phase may be a long process, its the reason for his success and so why not push it as far as it can go. I liked Davis Spade in it i thought it was in particular quite funny , and so what if there wasnt exact chemistry between the three, this was neevr going to be in the same league as Hap... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by mcguirk12 at 16:21, 04 June 2006 | Report This Post



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