The Benchwarmers
Metascore
25 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 17
  3. Negative: 11 out of 17
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    67
    This morphing of "The Bad News Bears" and a "Three Stooges" episode parades its dumbness with such zip that it almost passes for clever.
  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: James Parker
    50
    Not terrible, not terrible at all. Yes, the plot is terrible, some of the jokes are terrible, and Rob Schneider's bizarre from-the-neck-up oxblood tan is terrible, but the movie as a whole is a more-than-acceptable addition to the genre of shameless and hastily made American comedy.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    42
    For the first two acts, veteran lowbrow director Dennis Dugan at least keeps The Benchwarmers' pace brisk and the wall-to-wall soundtrack upbeat and infectious. Then the big third-act twist arrives and the film drags to a finish, leaving a slug-like trail of squishy sentimentality.
  4. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ben Kenigsberg
    40
    It's hard to buy the movie as an underdog success story, since even the actors barely seem to exert themselves.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Gene Seymour
    40
    From the beginning to its very end, The Benchwarmers seems to be struggling to justify its own existence.
  6. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    40
    Under Dennis Dugan's rote direction, Schneider winds up playing straight man to Spade, who once again relies on his snarky coward shtick, and Heder, who comes across like someone doing a bad imitation of ... well, Heder himself in "Napoleon Dynamite."
  7. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    38
    This formulaic mess of sports-movie cliches and self-esteem claptrap contains a couple of funny bits, but you have to slog through a lot of done-to-death bodily function jokes to get to them.
  8. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jennie Punter
    38
    An underdog's breakfast of a movie, with some quite funny characters and set pieces mixed with some excruciating "moral lessons," but at least it moves along at a brisk pace.
  9. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    30
    You have to credit the filmmakers for at least acknowledging their level of dreck during the final credits, when Lovitz rhetorically asks, "This was a complete waste of time, wasn't it?"
  10. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    30
    The Benchwarmers is the sort of trash that Hollywood does really well. It is also, to quote Mr. Schneider, "a master's thesis on the form of a quintessential Adam Sandler comedy."
  11. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    25
    It's a movie packed with so many idiot characters that Rob Schneider is cast as the cool guy -- and sort of pulls it off.
  12. Empire
    Reviewed by: Damon Wise
    20
    An unfunny, unfocused sub-SNL baseball comedy that makes the likes of Joe Dirt and Deuce Bigalow seem vintage.
  13. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    20
    No laughs here, just the dull ache of seeing Heder slotted into a standard piece of Hollywood twaddle.
  14. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    12
    The humor is infantile at best (projectile vomiting and bathroom jokes) and meanspirited at worst (midgets and gays, look out).
  15. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    12
    Sandler's latest ode to projectile vomiting, passing gas, gay jokes and physical insults to the groin is basically a feeble cross between "The Revenge of the Nerds" and "The Bad News Bears."
  16. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Toddy Burton
    11
    Though not entirely incapable of provoking a smile (or two), The Benchwarmers strikes out. Again and again and again.
  17. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Michael Ferraro
    10
    Another disastrous comedy aimed at second-graders and anyone else who thinks farts are still funny.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.6 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 112 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 64
  3. Negative: 20 out of 64
  1. xXAnthonyXx
    10
    Funny a** movie, one of my all time favorite comedies of all time! I couldn't stop laughing at a lot of parts in the movie and definitely not worth the 25 score, more of above 65 at least, I'd give it a high score.… Full Review »
  2. M0vieAddict
    7
    The jokes may be considered hollow and immature but the Benchwarmers has some great gut-busting moments mostly involving Heder's stupidity. It's a stupid comedy and claims to be nothing more, it's strong anti-bullying message is to be admired and a decent cast plays to their strengths on the baseball field. The fart jokes and crude humour may tire the older viewers and those with 'high morals' but for the rest of us? a cracking good movie.… Full Review »
  3. Compi24
    6
    It's rather stupid, but there's also something almost pathetically hilarious about a lot of the comedy within it.
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