Dumbbells
After a knee injury ends his basketball trajectory, a disgraced athlete finds an unlikely path back through a chaotic Los Angeles gym.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- breezy
- sincere
- casual comedy night
- sports movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an unsuccessful, low-quality broad comedy with little to recommend beyond its premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chris Long is a former basketball star whose knee injury drives his effort to recover at the struggling gym.
The central setting is a rundown Los Angeles gym whose colorful staff and patrons carry the comic interactions.
Chris's rehabilitation is tied to the effort to restore the struggling gym rather than pursuing recovery in isolation.
The protagonist's former basketball-star status and knee injury frame rehabilitation as a return to a lost sense of self.
Films like Dumbbells, and why
The Replacements
shared sports comedy framing, personal rehabilitation, and broad irreverent humor
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
shared ensemble comedy, physical training setting, and underdog self-improvement arc
The Benchwarmers
shared broad workplace humor, exaggerated personalities, and lowbrow comedic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Christopher Livingston
- Release Date
- 2014-01-10
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 4.2 / 10 (31)
Cast
- Brian Drolet
- Hoyt Richards
- Taylor Cole
- Mircea Monroe
- Fabio
- Nick Nicotera
- Jon Huck
- Jason Scott Jenkins
- Valery M. Ortiz
- Jennifer Murphy
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dumbbells about?
- After a knee injury ends his basketball trajectory, a disgraced athlete finds an unlikely path back through a chaotic Los Angeles gym.
- What is Dumbbells like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dumbbells as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Dumbbells violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dumbbells as mild.
- What did critics think of Dumbbells?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an unsuccessful, low-quality broad comedy with little to recommend beyond its premise.
- Which films are like Dumbbells?
- Films with a similar feel include The Replacements, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, and The Benchwarmers.
- How long is Dumbbells?
- Dumbbells runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dumbbells?
- In United States, Dumbbells is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Fandango At Home.
