Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Benchwarmers Blu-ray Movie Review

This lighthearted and sometimes heartwarming comedy makes a nerdy addition to your high def library.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 22, 2008

This nerd makes me seem like Rambo!

The Benchwarmers is a surprisingly watchable movie with a charming story and more laugh-out-loud moments than I've experienced in quite a while. This is by no means a good movie, but it's very successful at accomplishing what it sets out to do: tickle our funny bones while allowing us to cheer for the nerds who always find themselves picked dead last for sports, at the bottom of a pile-on, and laughed at for playing Dungeons and Dragons or Warcraft as they finally aim for some revenge, tackle the jocks, and grow up to be some of life's finest success stories, all the while maintaining the personality, likes, and dislikes that landed them squarely in the "nerd" camp as kids. If you have any inclination towards baseball and you proudly wear your nerdy side on your sleeve, you'll probably have fun rooting on The Benchwarmers.

Swing away Merrill....oops, wrong movie.

Clark (Jon Heder, Blades of Glory), Richie (David Spade, Tommy Boy), and Gus (Rob Schneider, 50 First Dates) are three nerds whose claims to fame may just be Richie's illustrious job at the video store, Clark's paper route, and Gus actually having a wife. When Gus and Clark witness the stronger jocks once again picking on a defenseless nerd (Nelson, played by Max Prado) at the local ball field, Gus sparks an interest in baseball with his friends. Soon enough this trio, calling their team the Benchwarmers, consisting of one standout player (Gus), and two men who hardly know how to hold a bat, take on the same squad of nine who saw fit to pick on defenseless Nelson. Thanks to Gus' high baseball IQ and talent, the nerds emerge victorious. When Nelson's billionaire father, Mel (Jon Lovitz, A League of Their Own), himself a nerd and proud of it (why not, he's a billionaire) learns of the victory, he sets up a tournament in which the Benchwarmers will compete with other teams in the area -- especially those squads that like to pick on nerds and find amusement in egging Star Wars conventions, for example. The grand prize in this tournament will be a state-of-the-art baseball field. Not only will our heroes have to brush up on their base running and pitching skills, but also tackle their emotions as they take on teams whose harshest weapons may not be their balls, bats, and gloves, but their nerd-hating comments.

I screened The Benchwarmers months ago and didn't think too highly of it, but this subsequent viewing proved a bit more pleasurable, and the film left me in stitches more than once. Despite The Benchwarmers offering more than its fair share of toilet humor, flatulence jokes, and other assorted comedy derived from bodily functions, the movie is surprisingly engaging and funny. I generally tend to dislike films that rely on this type of humor, but here it plays naturally, both in terms of the character's personalities and the flow of the story. Perhaps most importantly, however, is that the movie never becomes too grotesque and these scattered jokes never become the focal point of the story. Jon Heder, once again, steals the show. He plays his character as we would expect from the man whose claim to fame is his portrayal of the title character from Napoleon Dynamite, and his comedic timing, expressions, and delivery work well here. Many of his lines are completely out of left field and often result in the strongest laughs in the movie. Richie and Clark's complete lack of familiarity with baseball lingo make for some extremely funny moments, as does an all-too-brief scene featuring nerd-related baseball memorabilia, and such scenes play out very well for viewers familiar with America's Pastime. The Benchwarmers offers up numerous laughs for the nerds in the audience. A genuinely funny Knight Rider scene, an appearance by the 1966 version of the Bat Mobile, a Segway, a robotic butler, and the numerous Star Wars references and memorabilia scattered throughout the movie, all make for nerd Heaven; there is no doubt that creators of The Benchwarmers understand the world of the nerd. The feel of authenticity when we experience the nerds' lack of baseball acumen, as well as the many tributes to nerd-dom, all add a charm to the movie that make the laughs all the funnier. The Benchwarmers also features a few cameo appearances from sports icons. Seen in the film are ESPN's Sean Salisbury and Dan Patrick, former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski, and baseball Hall of Fame honoree, Mr. October, Reggie Jackson.

The Benchwarmers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Benchwarmers swings for the fences and winds up with a solid, off-the-wall double thanks to a solid, if only a bit unspectacular, 1.85:1, 1080p high definition transfer. This is a film with vibrant, eye- popping colors: Clark's yellow bicycle helmet, the green grass, the blue sky, and the faded orange ball caps worn by some of the bullies are only a few of the interesting and colorful objects offered through this pallette. Some colors, like very bright red shirts, do appear a bit blown out or too "hot," but not quite like the extremely vibrant colors we saw in High School Musical 2. This film has a marvelous theatrical look, aided by a fine layer of film grain that is almost always visible, but seems to reduce in intensity a few times here and there. The look of this transfer reminds me a bit of Employee of the Month. That film doesn't boast the finest transfer available, either, but it is one of my favorites nevertheless, as is this one, simply because of a certain cinematic charm about the appearance of the movie both films share. Visible detail is generally excellent. There are some wonderful visuals in the choice of locations: the interior of a Pizza Hut; apartments and homes; or the dusty, run-down baseball fields seen throughout the movie. There is a small amount of softness here and there. Check out the Pizza Hut salad bar in chapter four; the various foods in the foreground aren't completely clear and defined, but it hardly detracts from the overall look of this rather pleasing transfer. The same is true in other scenes as well, unfortunately including a few bright outdoor shots in which some foliage seen in front of houses loses definition. Black levels are solid, never appearing too gray or bright, and the print itself seems to be in excellent shape. Flesh tones appear to be a bit rosier than expected. Overall, this transfer is a wholly acceptable one that shines in many places and should please this film's fans a great deal.

The Benchwarmers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Benchwarmers rounds the bases with a pleasing yet underwhelming PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. This movie's primary audio cues are dialogue-driven, and that aspect of the disc is flawless, emanating loud, clear, and true from the center channel. The film's lively score isn't necessarily room-filling, but it's adequate, the front-heavy notes merging into the back channels for a well-placed and played comedy soundtrack. The rear speakers aren't put to nonstop effect, but we do hear some exciting and seamless effects, like a baseball bat flying through the air and over our heads. Atmospherics don't really blend into the back channels, either, but they are heard across the front, exemplified during a scene in a diner in chapter six. The film's numerous sound effects are all rather pleasing, including the ping of baseballs connecting with aluminum bats (which sounds just as good recorded onto Blu-ray as it does in real life), a bat falling on a character's head, and the numerous sounds of flatulence. The lack of deep bass will allow your subwoofer to take a much-needed off-day, but the soundtrack isn't hindered by the absence of lows. Setting your expectations accordingly will lend full enjoyment of this film sonically.

The Benchwarmers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Benchwarmers slides home safely and is accompanied by a few entertaining extras. Two full-length commentary tracks lead things off. The first features the film's director, Dennis Dugan, and drags almost from the beginning. Dead air permeates the track much of the time, but he does make a few interesting comments every now and then to hold our interest just long enough to keep on listening. Fortunately, with the film's compact runtime, listening to this track (or both, for that matter) proves less of a chore than those on much longer films. The second track features actors David Spade and John Heder. This track offers a few more laughs and lighthearted moments ("I want to tell the critics, if they liked Capote, they won't like this movie"), but offers little insight into the film itself.

Four deleted scenes entitled Talk of the Truck Stop (480p, 1:05), Rod and Beans (480p, 0:56), Bad Reggie (480p, 0:38), and Ball Sweatin' Goldies (480p, 0:15) are included. Four featurettes are next. Mr. October (480p, 8:15) takes a look at the appearance of Reggie Jackson in the film, as well as the cast and crew discussing the joy of working with the legendary ballplayer. Nerds vs. Bullies (480p, 5:48) examines the world of nerds and their portrayal in the film. Play Ball (6:06) features a brief behind-the-scenes look at the cast's thoughts on the sport of baseball. Who's On Deck? (1080p, 2:43) features a montage of the character of Howie (Nick Swardson, Click) as seen in the film. Finally, trailers for Click and RV conclude the extra features.

The Benchwarmers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you like baseball, are a nerd, and don't mind some crude humor that actually manages to be funny thanks to the delivery of the cast, you might like The Benchwarmers. This is not a "good movie," but I enjoyed it for what it is. Featuring a generally solid video transfer that retains a film-like look about it, an adequate audio presentation, and a few good supplements, The Benchwarmers might not hit cleanup in Blu-ray's all-star lineup, but it can have a spot on my team anytime. Recommended for baseball fans and nerds.