Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oh My-lanta! Really, really better than I thought it would be, July 12, 2006
Pushover nice guy/dweeb Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) has to come up with $28,000 to cover the cost of his lawnmower's medical bills. His uncle, who is in serious gambling debt, hits upon the very questionable idea of passing Steve off as retarted, thus qualifying him to compete in the Special Olympics. The disabled athletes, however, pretty quickly figure out that Steve is a poser, but they assist him anyway because of their dislike of arrogant perennial gold medal winner Jimmy Washington (Leonard Flowers). At the same time, Steve tries to win over lovely Special Olympics volunteer Lynn Sheridan (Katherine Heigl), while hilariously undermining her relationship with smarmy fiance David (Zen Gesner).
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this film. I haven't really dug Johnny Knoxville in the past (though I liked him in Walking Tall), and I was uncertain as to how he would play this character. Thoughts of Billy Bob Thornton's Willie from Bad Santa ran rampant in my brain. However, The Ringer turns out to be a funny, sweet-natured film, which laughs with the mentally disabled, rather than at them. Knoxville's Steve Barker is a surprisingly sympathetic character: an inherently decent dude trying to do the right thing, but is trapped into a corner, and ends up doing the wrong thing. While I don't know if I can condone his actions, I do definitely feel for him. Knoxville reveals a vulnerable side that is a mini-revelation. Steve's Special Olympics moniker "Jeffy Dahmer" still cracks me up. Katherine Heigl (television's Roswell) is perfectly winsome and very hot as Lynn. The rest of the film cast is also uniformly very good, and is peppered with actual mentally disabled performers. Edward Barbanell ("Billy") and John Taylor ("Rudy") are both actors with Down Syndrome. Also, all the extra athletes are genuine Special Olympics athletes.
Produced by the wacky Farrelly brothers, The Ringer is irreverent, hilarious, touching and, yes, even a tad inspirational. But was it maybe too PC? Yeah, I would have to say so. The Farrellys obviously wanted to toe the line with this very chancy topic (the Special Olympics gave their blessings to this film). But, as someone had mentioned, one wonders what kinds of unpolitically-correct stuff was left discarded on the editing floor. Still, this is a very funny, feel-good movie, with a (who woulda thunk it?) very likable lead. Guess I'm gonna have to start watching more Johnny Knoxville.
Special Features include: pretty cool film commentary by director Barry W. Blaustein, producer Peter Farrelly, and actors Johnny Knoxville, Edward Barbanell and John Taylor; a Special Olympics featurette; deleted scenes; "Let the Games Begin - A Look at The Ringer" docu-segment; and a message from Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mockery And Mischief At The Special Olympics--Inexplicably It Works Thanks To A Sweet Knoxville, December 27, 2006
Having seen most of Johnny Knoxville's film oeuvre, I have not been particularly impressed. I've admired some elements of the smaller films (Daltry Calhoun, Grand Theft Parsons) that he's done to extend his acting cred, but have found most of his "blockbuster" work (Dukes, Walking Tall) to be passable, at best, and excruciating, at worst. I'll admit, I was not first in line to see "The Ringer." The concept of Knoxville going undercover as a participant in the Special Olympics seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. In this world of political correctness, even the hint of impropriety threatens to derail questionable projects (much to my chagrin, most of the time), so I just didn't see how it was possible that this story was going to be made. But made it was, and with the full cooperation of the Special Olympics!
With minimal expectations, I actually found "The Ringer" to be very funny and filled with heart. Without a question, I feel this is Johnny Knoxville's best screen performance to date. He's wickedly funny, surprisingly sympathetic, and a credible romantic lead all rolled into one. In a scheme that is entered into with good intentions, Knoxville infiltrates the Special Olympics with the help of his uncle (a hysterically dark turn from Brian Cox). There, he finds it much more challenging than he had anticipated--both physically in the sporting events and mentally as it's difficult to maintain his cover. Of course, it doesn't help matters that he falls for a lovely volunteer (natch) played by "Grey's Anatomy"'s Katherine Heigl.
Of course, much of the humor is physical and much might be considered offensive in certain camps. I, for one, found it refreshing that the other participants of the Olympics were not portrayed as "saints" but as real people. The front-runner, for example, is an outright villain. And when Knoxville is set up on a blind date with a disabled girl, she is dismissive and irritable and downright mean. It's a progressive and unusual view, as most movies on this subject show exclusively favorable characterizations. Knoxville's plot against Heigl's boyfriend is hysterical, his camaraderie in the group is fresh and believable, and his romantic inclinations are well-played.
With moments of what seem like mean-spirited humor, this is actually a sweet and respectful picture. I think most people expected a bit more of the gross-out humor found in early Farrelly Brother's pictures. This is a slightly more conventional picture that the inspired "There's Something About Mary"--but I was shocked and delighted by how much I actually liked "The Ringer." KGHarris, 12/06.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A silly, funny movie, May 15, 2006
I didn't expect to like this movie, since I have not been a Johnny Knoxville fan. I was really surprised by Knoxville's impressive portrayal of a guy doing the (really, really) wrong thing for a mostly good cause. The movie doesn't poke fun of the mentally-challenged or physically challenged. With an interesting mix of actually disabled people and non-disabled actors, the movie makes fun of "normal" people more than those who are different. There are several hilarious one-liners, plenty of sight gags, and some serious heart. There is also enough bad language that I couldn't call this a "family" film, but it would be fine for older children.
I didn't get to watch the extras on the DVD, but I really enjoyed it, including the spoof of modern "star" atheletes. BTW - the other reviewer who kept referring to the star athelete as Lenny, really, really must not have been paying attention, since the character's name is "Jimmy" and his name is *everywhere*, on his entourage's jackets, on his limo .. . you get the idea.
This movie was a lot of fun, much more than I expected, and I recommend renting it at least.
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