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Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story (2006)
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Reviews Counted: 19
Fresh: 10
Rotten:9
Average Rating: 5.4/10
Theatrical Release:Apr 13, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: DAILY SHOW regular Rob Corddry takes the spotlight in this wonderfully silly mocumentary, starring as Bobby Dukes, a former paintball champion who gets one last shot at putting a paintball team... DAILY SHOW regular Rob Corddry takes the spotlight in this wonderfully silly mocumentary, starring as Bobby Dukes, a former paintball champion who gets one last shot at putting a paintball team together and competing at the highest level of the game. Dukes's career ended in shame after he "wiped" in a competition--yes, even the rugged Dukes wasn't above a little cheating, rubbing off a clear splash of paintball and continuing with the game as if he hadn't been hit. After 10 years in the paintball wilderness, Dukes returns to his hometown determined to assemble a kick-ass paintball team that will destroy everyone else in sight. There's just one problem: no self-respecting paintballer will go anywhere near Dukes, so he has to scrape together a team from some of the biggest misfits he can find, most of whom are more likely to paintball themselves or each other instead of gunning down the opposition. A spoof of the sports movie genre that also has a lot in common with Christopher Guest movies such as BEST IN SHOW, BLACKBALLED is a neat vehicle for Corddry's first starring role in a motion picture. The supporting cast is mostly culled from the impressive improv comedy troup the Upright Citizens Brigade, and director Brant Sersen keeps the laughs coming thick and fast throughout. Sure, there are a few misfires, but the cast mostly hits the target with their mixture of carefully scripted material and quickfire improvisations, making BLACKBALLED a low-budget gem. [More]
Starring: Rob Corddry, Ed Helms, Rob Riggle
Starring: Rob Corddry, Ed Helms, Rob Riggle
Director: Brant Sersen
Director: Brant Sersen
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Reviews for Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story
There isn't the same labored yet quotable wit ... that you'll find in some of the scripted satires, but part of the fun of improvisation is its spontaneous lack of polish.
not enough to make Blackballed worth watching for more than a couple of giggles.
With so much comic talent all in one place, Blackballed becomes a dopey but lovable gigglefest.
Needs a better smattering of colourful, interesting characters than it delivers [with its] scattershot approach . . . lacks any bruising zingers or zealously zany characters.
Jiggly camerawork meant to mimic that of the unseen documentarians, and mismatched lighting, perfunctory paintball action, and overlong dialogue riffs that make the film look more like a really lengthy skit than a fully finished movie.
... succeeds as a modest tribute to the kind of aging boys club that idles for hours in somebody's parents' rumpus room, its members tossing around big-man talk but trapped in emotional adolescence.
Sersen sneaks up behind the semi-obscure sport of paintball and hoists it up for an atomic wedgie.
Though the performances are surprisingly good -- the characters are drawn with a broad brush, but the actors, almost all professional comics, hit all the right notes -- the material just isn't funny enough to justify the film's length.
It's a mildly amusing feature that takes a few too many potshots at some very broad targets.
Corddry leads a game cast, but the film is rough around the edges and lacks the sophistication of, say, Christopher Guest's Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman.
While there's some dramatic interest in seeing how the story wraps, Blackballed pretty much wears out by midpoint.
This spoof of sports biopics is essentially an extended improvisational skit, with a troupe of comics riffing on a central joke (the elevation of paintball to a noble calling).
A mildly amusing mockumentary about a disgraced paintball champ who wants one more shot.
Blurbsters on Rotten Tomatoes will say it's hit-and-miss -- and they'll be right.
Does it give you a finer appreciation for the 'sport' of paintball? Probably not, but like paintball, it's fun even when it's messy.
An attempt at a Christopher Guest-style mockumentary minus the biting satire and wit.
For the price of one hour's catering on your average Hollywood comedy, Blackballed delivers probably three times the laughs.
Latest News for Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story
October 19, 2006:
Rob Corddry Joins Ben Stiller's "Heartbreak" Remake
Entirely hilarious on "The Daily Show" (as well as the little-seen "Blackballed"), Rob Corddry was due to hit Hollywood sometime soon. And now he's been... More...
August 01, 2006:
Jon Stewart's Rob Corddry IS "The Donor"
If you don't know Rob Corddry from his great work on "The Daily Show," don't worry about it too much. The guy's got about five movie roles in the works right now, and... More...
July 06, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story
A few years ago I saw a very funny indie comedy at the SXSW film festival, wrote my review of the flick, and then pretty much forgot about it. But now that "Blackballed:... More...
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