Today’s quick review: The Benchwarmers. Inspired to combat the bullying he witnesses in his neighborhood, Gus (Rob Schneider) forms a baseball team with Clark (Jon Heder) and Richie (David Spade), his dimwitted friends, and challenges the bullies to a game. The trio’s victory causes Mel (Jon Lovitz), the wealthy father of a bullied child, to back the team and sponsor a tournament where they can put other local teams in their place.
The Benchwarmers is a sports comedy about three grown men who take a stand against bullying by beating children at baseball. Carried by Gus’ natural talent for the game, Gus, Clark, and Richie soon become heroes for all the misfit kids who aren’t allowed to play sports by their more athletic peers. The Benchwarmers tries to ride this premise to comedic success, but its weak leads, flat humor, and lack of heart keep it from reaching its goal.
The Benchwarmers’ problems begin with its leads. Rob Schneider works well enough as Gus, the closest thing the film has to a normal adult. But the other leads—Jon Heder, David Spade, and Jon Lovitz—are lacking. Clark, Richie, and Mel are all one-note characters with little to offer. Clark’s immaturity, Richie’s bravado, and Mel’s ludicrous wealth wear thin quickly, leaving the film with a trio of characters who can barely pull their weight.
The Benchwarmers has other issues. The lopsided matchup between three adults and a full team of children keeps the movie from working as an underdog story. The children that Gus, Clark, and Richie claim to be playing for never factor into the plot in any significant way. Crude jokes, gag characters, and rampant product placement further cheapen the humor. The Benchwarmers has some decent ideas, but lacks the skill to follow through on them.
Give The Benchwarmers a shot only if you’re a fan of lowbrow humor and don’t mind some weak execution. The Benchwarmers has enough in the way of comedy to please some viewers whose tastes line up the right way, but most viewers will find that it misses the mark. For a more skillful baseball comedy, try Major League. For the video game equivalent, try Pixels. For a more endearing attempt at similar humor, try Nacho Libre.
5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for a mediocre premise, flaky humor, and lackluster leads.