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The Ringer

Starring: Johnny Knoxville
Director: Barry Blaustein
Genre: Comedy
Year: 2005
Rating: 2 / 5

When someone mentions the Farrelly brothers to movie fans, thoughts of Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary immediately come to mind. After all, brothers Peter & Bobby Farrelly have been writing, directing, and producing films in Hollywood for more than a decade, with results ranging from merely humorous to downright hilarious. When The Ringer, a comedy headlined by would-be star Johnny Knoxville, was released in late 2005, headlines blared that it came from the same people who brought us all of those classic films. Alas, it seems that the Farrelly brothers limited their involvement in this film to those catchy snippets, subjecting viewers to an ABC after-school special masquerading as a comedy.

So as not to be branded a completely heartless critic, allow me to mention that the message The Ringer attempts to convey is a good one. Johnny Knoxville plays a man trying to solve his financial problems by pretending to by mentally handicapped, a status which he hopes will allow him to compete in – and win – the Special Olympics. The film is so tame – at last compared to typical Farrelly brothers fare – and good-hearted that the Special Olympics even went so far as to endorse the movie. Is having good intentions and a strong message enough to doom a film? When the film is driven by these famous brothers and stars Jackass alumnus Johnny Knoxville, expectations are, shall we say, a little different.

The Ringer does deserve special recognition for placing a pair of mentally handicapped individuals in lead roles, one of which is that of star athlete Jimmy Washington. The role is played by Leonard Flowers, a man who was won his share of medals in the real Special Olympics. Most of the other roles are played by veteran actors, many of which have dabbled in previous Farrelly productions. Knoxville himself is much more restrained them we have come to expect, to the point that we keep expecting him to bust out. Instead, we are treated to warm moments, a forced romance with Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl, and a few stale jokes. With any luck, the next film that Peter & Bobby Farrelly develop with contain a little more of the humor for which they have come to be known.

Cast:

Certification: Rated PG-13 for language.
Running Time: 94 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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