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Kingpin (1996)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
November 4th, 2007
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Kingpin' is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. That a comedy makes you laugh, hard and often, is more than enough. That is its purpose. Yeah, it is PG-13, not as raunchy as There's Something About Mary, but still vulgar and tasteless, and completely hysterical. This might be the Farrelly Brothers' biggest success. Woody Harrelson is Roy Munson, a bowling prodigy. As a young man, he wins championship after championship. Then, he meets Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray), also a pro bowler, but more of a conman. Roy sort of looks up to McCracken, who is c*cky and selfish, and McCracken takes Roy to an alley full of shady characters, whom he tries to swindle out of money by bowling against them, using Roy's talent to beat them, after telling them that Roy is little more than an amateur.
When they realize they have been had, they come after Roy, who is abandoned by McCracken, and loses his hand in the ball return. Years later, Roy is an overweight alcoholic, living in a slummy apartment, with a grotesque landlady who is willing to postpone his rent in exchange for sexual favors. One day, Roy stumbles upon Ishmael (Randy Quaid), from a local Amish community, who possesses the same amazing natural talents Roy once did. Roy offers to coach him, to make him better, but Ishmael declines. Roy pursues him, hoping he can persuade him to accompany him to a high-paying tournament in Las Vegas. Roy even goes undercover as an Amish farmer, to get closer to Ishmael, which leads to whole series of side-splitting gags in its own right. Then, 'Kingpin' becomes a road movie of sorts, but never a conventional one. Roy and Ishmael pick up Claudia (Vanessa Angel), a sumptuous beauty whose rich boyfriend Roy tries to hustle. Claudia steals some of his money and escapes with Roy and Ishmael, with Ishmael falling for her in the process.
Then, Roy encounters McCracken again, this time as a rival in the big tournament, which Roy enters instead of Ishmael. There is a chance Roy will best McCracken, in those fateful final frames, and his old ability to clear strike after strike may very well come back, despite the obvious inhibitions of bowling with a large rubber hand that has a tendency to fly off at any moment. The movie is rarely predictable, and always funny, which is one of its primary strengths. Harrelson and Quaid are terrific, make a great pair, with lots of chemistry, and Angel is stunning, but has a heart of gold beneath that pretty exterior. Murray is an utter delight, even though McCracken himself is a slimeball. The actually bowling segments are well done, and look convincing, as if we are seeing real professionals in action. And McCracken's combover must be seen to be believed, the things it does in the heat of competition.
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