Starring: Rob Schneider, David Spade, Jon Heder, Jon Lovitz,
Cert: 12A
Released: 2nd June 2006

Gus (Schneider) is the local suburban gardener. Clark (Heder) is a paperboy. Richie (Spade) 'works' at the video store.

In an impromptu rescue of a young boy from some bullies, these three friends decide to have a knock-about game of baseball even though Clark and Richie have never played a game in their life. Because when they were younger, they were like that bullied boy; they were the nerds who were not good enough and excluded from the games.

The bullies return and start gobbing off at the men. Gus, too, has an affinity with the oppressed so challenges the little league team to one-on-one. Or, rather, three-on-eleven.

Clarke and Richie show why they never made the cut for the teams but delight in the slightest improvement. Then Gus steps up to the plate and smacks the hell out of the ball, hitting one home run after another. Then when it comes to fielding he strikes out each one of the boys as if they weren't there.

It turns out that the bullied boy is actually the son of nerd-turned-zillionnaire, Mel (Lovitz). He wants to sponsor a knockout competition; these three men (The Benchwarmers) versus all the local little league teams in an attempt to put the jocks and bullies in their place and show that baseball should be for everyone.

The games progress and Gus manipulates the game-play to involve his team-mates more each round and so improving their skills. As they defeat each round the jocks are shamed and the nerds start emerging from their laptops to support their role models.

But Gus carries with him a dark and troubling secret that could bring the plan crashing down.

Wow! What a line-up. Schneider, Spade and Heder. It's almost too ironic that the benchwarmers of comedy should make such a film. Schneider only successful roles are as cameos in his best mate's films and Spade hasn't done anything impressive since TV's Just Shoot Me. And Heder? Well, it seems like he can't get past Napoleon Dynamite. Even in this as his character is Dynamite but without the comedy bouffant but with a comedy cycle helmet.

Then you might have heard the talk that this was originally supposed to be a Chris Farley vehicle and that should put the nail in the coffin.

However, unlike Schneider's other indulgences in lead roles he is actually playing the (relatively) straight man. He's the normal guy who's comfortable enough to hang around - and support - his freakish pals. I have to say, he reminded me of Michael Keaton when he was a credible comedic actor.

Heder, as I say, just plays the character he is famous for, perhaps a little more goofy, but since Napoleon Dynamite was a fairly disregarded film there's a very good chance a lot of people won't know the part so he can (almost) get away with it.

Spade is his usual lippy, obnoxious self. Always bigging himself with nothing to back it up or passing the blame on to others.

Lovitz is way over the top and hilarious for it. Playing a nerd with more money than he knows what to do with, he surrounds himself with the same toys as he would have as a boy but 100 times more expensive. He may have played with the Batmobile when he was younger; now he owns it.

Forget about the plot as there isn't much of one, and where there is then it's fairly predictable, but just sit back and watch three comedians do what they're good at and one finding a new niche in his career.

The jokes are scatological, offensive and downright un-pc at times but that's the vogue for many films nowadays. For too long have films had to be careful and so diluted their source material. Again, we see the likes of South Park being realised in the flesh in the same manner as Bad News Bears (another baseball with kids) with everyone throwing insults at each other mixed with a bit of Dodgeball-like bodily injuries.

Not the most hilarious film ever but with the deluge of lack-lustre romps invading the big screen it is a pretty good way to spend 90 minutes with the brain switched off and lapping up the silliness.