Schneider takes a swing at a younger audience

Rob Schneider delivers a more wholesome performance than we have seen from him in the past with his family comedy "The Benchwarmers." The movie manages to be funny, without being filled with the same offensive d*ck jokes that we are used to seeing from him.

Let's just say it is more "50 First Dates" than it is "Deuce Bigalow."

"The Benchwarmers" tells the story of three underachievers who have grown up resenting the fact that they never played organized baseball. When a billionaire nerd gives them the opportunity to join a Little League team and play for the respect of nerds all over the country, they accept. Their three-man team of older guys then goes up against several full teams comprised of kids. "The Benchwarmers" is an underdog story for all of the kids out there who are just no good at sports.

The film was directed by Dennis Dugan ("Happy Gilmore"), and written by Alan Covert ("Eight Crazy Nights") and Nick Swardson ("Malibu's Most Wanted"). Just like the other films that have been recently produced by Adam Sandler, "The Benchwarmers" follows the growing trend of being more family-oriented, and having more heart than slapstick and swear words. Unfortunately, this change in direction has made Sandler's films less funny. Let's face it, there will never be another "Billy Madison." That age is over.

Schneider plays the lead role as Gus, the only member of the team with any athletic ability. Although Schneider's jokes are usually lowbrow and crude, his versatility is impressive. He can play an unappealing slob in one film, and can be a humble, endearing character in the next. Nevertheless, Schneider pulls of his character quite nicely in "The Benchwarmers."

Fellow Saturday Night Live alum David Spade ("Joe Dirt") plays Richie, the cynical loser friend of Gus. Spade is famous for his snappy comebacks and sarcastic insults. However, in the film his lines don't have as much bite as usual. He is funnier and more offensive on TV once a week on "The Showbiz Show" than he was in this. Spade is usually a welcome addition to any comedy but not when his material is watered down for a younger audience.

Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite") completes the trio as Clark, Richie's spastic younger brother. To those eager to see the star of "Napoleon Dynamite" in a different role, you will be sorely disappointed. Heder plays the same exact character. His voice and mannerisms are undeniably funny, but his routine gets old and annoying halfway through the movie. Heder should be wary of his next role, because at the moment he seems like a one-trick dog.

The film is filled with lots of great cameos. Jon Lovitz ("High School High") plays the eccentric billionaire who funds the team in hopes of creating heroes for his son, who is often ostracized by bullies. Tim Meadows ("The Ladies Man"), Craig Kilborn ("Old School") and a few ex-ballplayers play the opposing Little League coaches who get off on teasing the nerds. The film's portrayal of the stupidity of male machismo and jocks altogether is hilarious.

Besides its nerds-are-people-too theme, "The Benchwarmers" features a decent number of running gags and more mature jokes, giving it appeal to an older audience as well as kids. However, the movie isn't going to split anyone's sides.

It is hard to understand why as the SNL crew's audience got older, their material got softer. Have they abandoned their fans by changing their target audience? Or perhaps they've simply grown up and are unwilling to make the same juvenile jokes that made them popular 10 years ago. Either way, "The Benchwarmers" has enough funny material to make it worth watching, no matter what your age.