10 Best Movies Like Dodgeball

The L really stands for love whenever anyone thinks of Rawson Marshall Thurber's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." The 2004 sports comedy pits the lovable losers from Average Joe's gym against the powerhouse posers from Globo Gym across the street. With Average Joe's in dire financial straits, owner Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) enters a dodgeball tournament in hopes of winning the cash prize necessary to keep his gym afloat. But Globo Gym's White Goodman (Ben Stiller) enters his Purple Cobras too, as he hopes to crush Average Joe's for good.

Stiller steals the show as the narcissistic but foolish White, who often ends up insulting himself because he thinks he's a competent orator. He's complemented by the all-star cast of "Dodgeball", who turn it into one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s — and maybe ever. That isn't all, though, as the film also possesses outstanding cameos from the likes of Jason Bateman and William Shatner, who make full use of their limited time on screen to produce chuckles and leave a lasting impression.

After watching "Dodgeball," viewers are likely to find themselves wanting to watch more movies like it. And why not? Everybody needs to laugh more in life. Sure, not every film will have its own White Goodman or ridiculous Purple Cobra dance to imitate, but this carefully curated selection of movies captures the same mood and absurdity of the Thurber classic. There's no need to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge these choices, because they will rock you!

Ben Stiller's comedic genius sees him equally capable of playing the everyman and the eccentric screwball. In 2001's "Zoolander," Stiller portrays the latter, strutting his stuff as the dimwitted fashion model Derek Zoolander; Stiller also directed, produced, and co-wrote the film. The story picks up with Derek down in the dumps. He used to be the world's most famous male model, but he's now been usurped by Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson), who is so hot right now! To make matters worse, his male model friends die after having a playfight with gasoline.

Derek tries to find himself again while becoming embroiled in Jacobim Mugatu's (Will Ferrell) plan to assassinate Malaysia's Prime Minister with a team of brainwashed models. To stop Mugatu, Derek needs to work with journalist Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor) and put aside his differences with Hansel, who's still so hot right now! If it all sounds wild, that's because it is. Seriously. The way the models are brainwashed to become assassins is through Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" — which is an all-time banger, by the way.

Like in "Dodgeball," "Zoolander" pairs the real-life married couple of Stiller and Taylor on screen. This time, though, their characters are less antagonistic to each other but still have chuckle-worthy exchanges. Additionally, "Zoolander" balances the zany premise with side-splittingly hilarious characters who unleash "Blue Steel"-level one-liners that live on in the memory long after the credits. It's one of Ben Stiller's best movies, but the 2016 sequel, "Zoolander 2," isn't quite as memorable.

The most grating aspect of White Goodman is his condescending tone toward others about fitness. He's an unrepentant narcissist who believes he's better than you and that his methods are the only ones that work. Ironically, Ben Stiller played a similar character almost a decade earlier in 1995's "Heavyweights."

In the Steven Brill-directed film, Gerry Garner (Aaron Schwartz) is sent to a weight loss camp known as Camp Hope. He meets other like-minded kids, who have also been sent there by their parents. The camp isn't the fun place it used to be, though, ever since Tony Perkis Jr. (Stiller) took over the reins, removing the enjoyable elements in favor of turning it into a grueling boot camp that he plans to use as an infomercial for his services. Naturally, this puts Tony at odds with the kids and camp counselors.

Stiller hasn't dodged — pardon the pun — the similarities between White and Tony. "Tony Perkis. He's definitely a first or second cousin to [White]," Stiller told IGN in 2004. "And it was, yeah, it's so funny, because I was thinking, 'Aw, yeah. This is like in that world.' And then I always thought, 'Well, nobody ever saw 'Heavyweights,' so I can do this.' But a lot of people saw 'Heavyweights' apparently." For those who can't get enough of White's shenanigans, Tony proves to be more than a worthy equal. All that's missing is the sensational mustache. Or maybe Stiller's "Heavyweights" and "Dodgeball" villains are actually the same guy.

Everyone loves to root for the underdog. It's why the audience gets behind Average Joe's as the team grinds to win the dodgeball tournament. Sure, they aren't the most naturally gifted or athletic individuals around, but through a combination of persistence, heart, self-belief, and a little luck, anything is possible. That's the same premise behind the 1992 film "The Mighty Ducks."

Emilio Estevez plays Gordon Bombay, a hotshot defense attorney who receives community service after a drunk driving arrest. This sentence requires him to coach a young hockey team, but what Gordon discovers is a group of players without the necessary equipment, belief, and ability to win. At first, Gordon lashes out at them, due to his history as a failed youth player and dismay at what he sees in front of him, but his approach softens and changes as he gets to know the players and builds the Ducks into a mighty team.

"The Mighty Ducks" is a feel-good movie that makes viewers believe any goal is achievable with the right mentality and support system. Despite the overwhelming odds, every obstacle and challenge is overcome by the Ducks. Also, this story is about Gordon's journey to discovering what really matters in life and conquering his demons. It helps that "The Mighty Ducks" never forgets its sense of humor — much like "Dodgeball."

In Adam McKay's "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) believes in the principle his daddy once said to him, "If you ain't first, you're last." Everything about him encompasses this motto, as it's win, win, win at all costs. Ricky's world comes crashing down around him after French driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) surpasses him as the top dog on the track. For Ricky, he needs to figure out how to reclaim his spot, but also discover what's really important in his life.

"Talladega Nights" contains the right balance of heart and humor, having the viewer rooting for characters like Ricky and his best pal, Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly), while also guffawing at their undisputed silliness. When all is said and done, it's a cautionary tale told through the lens of comedy about the dangers of obsession and how winning isn't always everything, though the story still has a happy ending for almost everyone here.

While Peter La Fleur from "Dodgeball" isn't quite as silly or obsessive as Ricky in "Talladega Nights," there's a similarity in the sense that they both need to think beyond themselves and consider the impact their actions have on others. By doing so, they realize they're much richer as regular people than what they were before. Also, here's a fun and unexpected fact: "Talladega Nights" is one of Christopher Nolan's favorite comedies.

Remove dodgeball, add baseball into the equation, and you'll have 2006's "The Benchwarmers." While the premise isn't exactly the same, the setup features a striking resemblance. Three nerdy adult friends — Gus Matthews (Rob Schneider), Richie Goodman (David Spade), and Clark Reedy (Jon Heder) — join a Little League tournament where the winning team earns the right to play at a newly built baseball park.

Yeah, the trio doesn't exactly fit the criteria for Little League requirements, but just go with the flow because a ridiculous explanation is provided in the film. This quest for greatness is seen as the last chance for Gus, Richie, and Clark, who were never picked for sports teams when they were younger, to do something special as adults and friends.

Like "Dodgeball," "The Benchwarmers" loves its wacky characters and rolling gags. No one can be taken too seriously here, as they're all over-the-top personalities (with some venturing into offensive caricature territory) serving as punchlines or exclamation points to several jokes. Where the films differ is in the overall theme. Yes, "The Benchwarmers" is an underdog story, but it's also a reminder that it's never too late to do something you have always wanted to do. In this case, it's defeating kids in baseball. Hey, who are we to judge other people's dreams?!

Will Speck and Josh Gordon's "Blades of Glory" introduces a unique concept: What would happen if two rival figure skaters were forced to work together as a pair? In this instance, it's Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) who find their way to the World Winter Sport Games as an ambitious duo after the disgrace of four years earlier. See, Chazz and Jimmy tied for first place in single skating in the previous installment of the competition, but they decided to squabble on the podium. Consequently, they were stripped of their medals and banned for life — until a loophole was found that lets them skate as a pair.

Expectedly, the pairing of Ferrell and Heder makes a perfect figure eight on screen, as they never fail to draw the laughs from viewers. Without question, this entire story is borderline bonkers and highly unlikely to ever happen in the real world. Then again, so was one about two rival gyms competing in a dodgeball tournament.

Imagine if Peter La Fleur and White Goodman were forced to team up rather than face off against each other. It sounds impossible, considering their differing personalities, but the comedy gold would be incalculable. That's essentially what "Blades of Glory" is, pitting together two adversaries as unlikely allies for everyone's amusement. What follows is a feet-tickling buddy comedy set in the most unexpected of sports: figure skating. Hands down, this is one of Will Ferrell's best movies.

Believe it or not, Jeff Tomsic's "Tag" is based on a true story. As the legend goes (or The Wall Street Journal article), a group of pals played tag for over two decades. The film takes some creative liberties, but it follows several pals who have been playing tag since childhood. However, Jerry Pierce (Jeremy Renner), who has never been tagged, is about to get married soon, so he's retiring from the game. The guys decide to have one last go at tagging Jerry, while also being followed by reporter Rebecca Crosby (Annabelle Wallis), who plans to write a story about this lifelong game of tag and their friendship.

If anything, "Tag" is a celebration of the games of childhood, much like "Dodgeball." Too often, society says things like, "You're too old for that," or, "Grow up and do something adult like washing and folding laundry," but this is a defiant message of how you're never too old to have fun. The game of tag symbolizes a bond between friends who have always found the time for each other. Fair enough, they do take it to extremes sometimes, but there's no escaping the joy they feel when they play the game together.

Also, like "Dodgeball," "Tag" features a wonderful cast of actors who only add to the overall experience and comedy. You can't help but laugh as you see the likes of Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress chase after each other.

Look, Robert Ben Garant's "Balls of Fury" is what would happen if "Dodgeball" had a baby with Jean-Claude Van Damme's "Bloodsport." This entirely ludicrous film could only star someone with the comedic ability and timing of Dan Fogler, because it would fall apart in the hands of many other performers. In this film, Fogler plays Randy Daytona, a former child prodigy table tennis player who gave up the sport after his father's murder. Years later, the FBI wants Randy to go undercover to a deadly table tennis tournament, which is set to be hosted by the nefarious Feng (Christopher Walken): the man who was responsible for the death of Randy's dad.

Like what "Dodgeball" did for dodgeball, "Balls of Fury" makes folks believe that table tennis is the biggest deal. Of course, the sport has its supporters and players, but this isn't the NBA or NFL by any means, so let's not fool ourselves here. Yet, this film makes you think it's the most important sport in the world, where folks even enter sudden death (literal and figurative) tournaments to become champions.

"Balls of Fury" is as lowbrow as it comes, but it's impossible not to get a fit of giggles at some point. It's the type of stupid and special comedy that only comes around once in a while, making it one of the best movies to watch after "Dodgeball."

Will Ferrell finds his way onto this list for the umpteenth time. It kinda makes you wonder why he didn't star in "Dodgeball," since it feels like the perfect Will Ferrell film without him actually in it. Regardless, he appears in 2005's "Kicking & Screaming," which could have also been titled "Cackling & Sniggering," because that's what audiences do after they watch it.

Ferrell portrays the everyday man Phil Weston, who grows a little tired of his father Buck's (Robert Duvall) highly competitive streak. Buck coaches the kids' soccer team in which Phil's son, Sam (Dylan McLaughlin), plays. After Buck benches Sam, Phil moves Sam to a new team, which so happens to be the worst in the league. When the opportunity opens up, Phil takes over the reins as the coach of Sam's new team, hoping to turn their fortunes around while also sticking it to his own dad.

The dynamic between Ferrell and the late Robert Duvall proves to be everything here. "Kicking & Screaming" is a story about living in the shadow of a high-performance parent and dealing with their extraordinary expectations. While it's easy to call how the film ends, it's still a tale that tugs on the heartstrings. Like "Dodgeball," it also shows how, while sports can be competitive, winning isn't the be-all and end-all of why people participate. Sometimes, it's about feeling a part of something bigger than yourself.

The Farrelly brothers know a thing or two about comedy, so it's no surprise that their 1996 film, "Kingpin," turned out to be a cult classic, as well as one of Woody Harrelson's best movies. Harrelson stars as Roy Munson, a former bowling champion who loses his right hand after being caught up with scam artist Ernie "Big Ern" McCracken (Bill Murray). After many years of disappointment, Roy finds his mojo again when he takes young bowler Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid) under his wing. Yet, who waits in the distance as one final challenge? Big Ern.

"Kingpin" doesn't always play out the way one expects. As a matter of fact, the lack of a big heroic moment might upset fans who wanted to see Roy and Ishmael celebrate a big win. However, it still contains a happy conclusion for the protagonists that signifies there's more to life than bowling trophies.

Apart from the competition aspect, the villain in "Kingpin" feels very much White Goodman-esque. Sure, Big Ern is a tad bit smarter and more conniving than White, but he's also a total narcissist who doesn't care what happens to others, just as long as he gets what he wants. Special credit needs to go to Murray for knocking this role out of the park, though there never was any doubt, was there?