KINGPIN
A film review by Rich Meitin
Copyright 1996 Rich Meitin
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel, Bill Murray Director: Bobby & Peter Farrelly Producer: Brad Krevoy, Steve Stabler, and Bradley Thomas Screenplay: Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan Cinematography: Mark Irwin Music: Freedy Johnston
Rating: 1/2 * (on a scale of 4)
Capsule review: Bathroom humor and sight gags, neither original nor well done. Visually shoddy. A waste of talented actors.
This is a movie that has it all: Prosthetic gags, vomiting gags, bull semen gags, kick-in-the-crotch gags, boob (as in female breast) gags -- lots and lots of them. There wasn't a trick too cheap or too embarassing for Fanaro and Nathan to trot out.
After listening to an astonishingly lavish and fawning review by both Siskel and Ebert ("I can't wait to take my friends to see it, "easily the funniest movie of the year," "laughed out loud all the way through," etc.) I overcame my natural resistance to seeing a movie about bowling, especially one with such idiotic posters and trailers. What a mistake. I spent the first 20 minutes waiting for something funny to happen, and the remainder of the two hours feeling thankful I had not asked anyone to join me.
Harrelson plays a young, innocent, talented bowler who is corrupted morally and destroyed physically (overnight, no less) through the actions of Murray's cynical character. Years later, Harrelson tries to take advantage of Quaid's character in a similar way, but Quaid's Amish-dweeb is too goodhearted to buy into Harrellson's schemes ... until he is forced into making money to save his family's farm.
The climax involves a re-match on the lanes with villain Murray. Harrelson is inexplicably able to bowl again, in championship form, despite a seventeen year layoff and the hook/rubber hand at the end of his bowling arm. Angel is chiefly available for her looks, and for one of the nicest bodies money can buy. Harrellson and Angel undergo a sort of moral and romantic redemption at the end that is equally inexplicable. The story elements are just a flimsy framework for a long list of sight gags, at least twenty of which involved either Harrelson's rubber hand or Angel's silicone breasts.
Broad, physical comedy has decades of genuinely funny precedent to draw upon -- everything from the Marx brothers to Leslie Nielson. I don't dislike silly movies. Just bad ones. It was poorly lit and shot. The soundtrack was pinched and tinny. Even the opening credits of this film were cheap and un-funny.
One-half star awarded for several talented actors, who were up the cinematic creek without a paddle. One thing about the Siskel/Ebert review was true: This was a movie that would "do anything for a laugh." Unfortunately, it just didn't do anything funny.
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