Dumbbells (2014) Reviews

• Dumberer and Dumberer

  soncoman2014-01-13

  What can be said about "Dumbbells" that hasn't already been said about "Porky's","Losin' It", "Fraternity Vacation", "The Last American Virgin", "Screwballs", "Private Resort", "Hot Dog: The Movie", etc.? Not much, actually. They're all movies aimed at a specific audience demographic (young, horny males) and are filled with the requisite T & A and low-brow humor. They aren't all terrible films, but they won't end up on any AFI "Best" list, either. They set the bar low and, more often than not, succeed at some level. So it is with "Dumbbells", a new film directed by Christopher Livingston and seeing a limited theatrical release now as well as being available via Video-on-Demand. This low-budget, amiable piece of cinematic fluff tells the tale of one Chris Long (Brian Drolet), art major and superstar forward for the NCAA basketball powerhouse that is LA Tech. (That alone is good for a laugh…) who after wrecking his knee, finds himself working at a dead-end job in a rundown gym. Things look to be going from bad to worse when the gym is taken over by former male supermodel Jack Guy (former male supermodel Hoyt Richards) who has dreams of producing a gym-based reality TV series to be hosted by Fabio. (Yes, apparently in Hollywood people still have dreams involving Fabio...) Things go from bad to worse to worser when Jack discovers a cult he was once involved in has absconded with all his money. Ah, but he has a plan to recover his money and save the gym. And so it goes… A more interesting film might be made from the story of how star/co-screenwriter/co-producer Richards got some (fairly) well-known faces to appear in this film. Who? Well, comedians Tom Arnold and Jay Mohr (miles away from "True Lies" and "Jerry Maguire") have small roles. The aforementioned Fabio is along for the ride, Jaleel "Urkel" White plays the cult leader, and Hollywood living-legend Carl Reiner does a bit. With all due respect to Mr. Livingston, one wonders what might have been if they had been able to talk Carl Reiner into directing "Dumbbells" instead of appearing in it. Accompanying Reiner in his bit is Nancy Olson (light years away from her Oscar-nominated role in "Sunset Boulevard") whose appearance so intrigued me I had to immediately try to figure out why. (Check the director's IMDb page for the obvious reason as to why she's in this film.) Also intriguing is the fact that apparently a bit of this film is autobiographical. Richards had his own cult experiences, and I suppose one could give him credit for taking what must have been a very difficult time for him and making light of it. As low-budget comedies go, "Dumbbells" falls somewhere between complete disaster and rousing yuck-fest. A likable cast helps, and while you could have fun playing "spot the continuity errors", set your expectations as low as the budget and you'll find it a pleasant and surprisingly inoffensive (surprising based on the trailer...) time passer with a couple of laughs. www.worstshowontheweb.com

• This movie has heart, and more importantly Fabio.

  face-819-9337262014-01-22

  At first glance this looks like a National Lampoon's ... movie, but it turns out to be more than that. The heart of an 80's teen romp with an attitude far more of today. This is not a locker room peeper, or car wash babes kind of film. It is just a nice romantic comedy wrapped in the Van Wilder mentality. You have never seen what happens when Fabio "the one, and only" first walks into the room something expected, but never actually expected. In the end though I enjoyed this film, and if not for Fabio it would be about a 7.5, but it gets an 8, and you can choose to see why. I recommend this to people who like funny movies (it's not rolling on your back funny, but funny), it is a little depressing at the beginning, and hard to really care for the lead, but that all sorts itself out as the real story gets rolling.

• Laugh out loud funny.

  remisykes2014-03-06

  As a gym rat I was looking forward to Dumbbells and it did not disappoint. A lot of characters in the film were based on people I swear I know. There were numerous laugh out loud moments and that's rare in comedies today. The writers obviously know the dynamics of what happens at the gym. Hoyt Richards shines as gym owner Jack Guy. This is one of those films where it looks like the entire cast is having a blast. There is a lot of eye candy for both women and men alike in Dumbbells. Did I mention the great cameos from Tom Arnold, Jay Mohr, Carl Reiner and even Fabio. Highly recommended!!!

• Dumbbells is fun and sweet at heart. Unnecessary skin flick, but fun.

  adunn7162014-01-14

  Dumbbells is fun. It's just a very lighthearted and fun movie. At times I think it tries too hard to be sexy. It's unnecessary. But I can appreciate that Dumbbells pokes fun at gym fantasies. Girls running around in clothes that barely cover anything; I know I see it around my gym all the time. That's the genius of this movie, it completely makes fun of Hollywood; Hollywood being the umbrella term for red carpet, scandal, posh gyms, personal trainers, nutritionists, maintaining images, crazy cults, social media and more. It makes fun of reality TV shows. It makes fun of meatheads. It makes fun of trying to save a business, fighting for the limelight, chasing your dreams, and screaming princesses. Actually the representation of the Dumbbells gym itself is quite accurate. Most gyms have the old man that can barely move, the overly sexified blonde, the legitimately buff personal trainer, the overly ambitious gym director. And while the end of the movie is a little unrealistic, the move is really sweet at heart. It reminds us all that while we should reach for our dreams, even if we don't get exactly what we want, usually we get exactly what we need. Dumbbells, follows Chris Long (Brian Drolet) a NBA superstar wan-a-be who gets injured the night of his big game. With a blown out knee the NBA is out of the question. He is dumped by his bratty girlfriend "Kimmypoo" and takes up a job as a desk attendant at an unpopular gym "We Sweat Hard". Due to his lack of success he becomes extremely bitter. In walks Jack Guy (Hoyt Richards), former superstar, and supposedly the one who's going to save the gym. Jack's idea is to feature a reality TV show at Dumbbells, open 25/8 "because 24/7 is for pussies". Everything goes south. Three days after opening the gym. It's completely shut down. Jack Guy is scammed out of all his money and is kidnapped by a cult he was formerly a member of. Things get crazy. Hilarity ensues but it all works out in the end! Through some creative b.s.-ing. Jack Guy and Chris Long team up to pull the Dumbbells team back together and get everyone on the right track.

• Successful at Making Me Laugh...Many Times

  Mattalangold2014-01-29

  Dumbbells is a fun, fun movie. The star appearances are awesome. The performers I didn't know before watching this movie impressed me. The lead, Brian Drolet, is a GREAT actor. Drolet also successfully executed his roles as writer and co-producer of Dumbbells. When you watch this movie, appreciate it for what it is- a goofy comedy NOT making obvious efforts to reach the lowest common denominator by lazily thrusting itself into the sub genre of raunchy comedies. It's just a fun 100 minutes. Don't ever listen to critics. That includes their reviews of Dumbbells, which are nothing more than failed attempts at predicting how the audience will perceive movies. I recommend Dumbbells to anyone who maintains good laughs and entertainment as the hallmarks of goofy comedies.