I'm ashamed to say it, but I love this movie.

Yes, I LOVE this movie.

I can be in the worst mood in the word, but if I put in my "Kingpin" DVD, the crude humor and ridiculous premise never fail to crack me up. There are certain bits, like Roy "milking" the bull when he mistakes it for a cow (he gets it going with a little well-placed sucking), the "Jeffersons on Ice" show going on in Reno, and Bill Murray's public service announcement, that never fail to get me going.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

"Kingpin" is a typical gross-out Farrelly Brothers romp with an utterly ridiculous plot carried forward with utterly ridiculous acts and happenings committed by utterly ridiculous characters.

I think that one of the main reasons it all works so well is the brilliant casting. Woody Harrelson plays Roy Munson, a promising young bowling champion whose dreams are crushed, along with his bowling hand, when he meets up with a jealous fellow bowler, Big Ed, played by Bill Murray. Big Ed tricks Roy into running a con and being the fall guy.

Fast forward many years later. Roy is now a bitter one-handed bowling supplies salesman. He has a hook in place of his lost bowling hand. Although he usually covers it with a rubber fake, the hook is trotted out to good comic effect quite frequently.

Roy is such a loser that his name has literally made it into popular speech; a Munson has come to mean being a stunning failure after being on the bring of success. He is forced to "service" his hideous landlady in order to pay his rent.

Enter Ishmael, played with hilarious goofiness by Randy Quaid. Quaid is born for this type of role, as evidenced by how he steals the show in the Vacation movies. Ish is Amish, but a relative introduced him to the game of bowling, which has become his secret vice. Roy decides to become his "manager," coaching him for a big bowling tournament in Reno. Ish only goes along with this because his Amish community is in dire need of money, and his share of the winnings would be just enough to get them out of debt.

Along the way, they team up with Vanessa Angel, who you might remember as Lisa on the old "Weird Science" television series. Here, she plays her role with likeable sleaziness. Watch for the fight between her and Roy, especially her bosom, for a good laugh!

By this time, Big Ed has become a reknowned champion, so of course he will be Ishmael's main competition in Reno. Will Ishmael be able to beat him? Will Roy get his revenge? Will Ish's strict Amish family ever forgive him for getting a huge, obscence tattoo, not to mention his new-found fondness for bongs? You'll have to watch "Kingpin" to see for yourself.

Granted, this movie isn't for everyone. If you don't like the Farrelly brand of gross-out humor, don't bother. But if you enjoyed "There's Something About Mary," I think you'll laugh at least a few times in this one. You really need to watch it more than once to catch all the sight gags and the quickly delivered lines, like the one about "Jeffersons On Ice" that I mentioned earlier.

"Kingpin" is wonderful mindless entertainment...watch it and you might just get hooked like I did.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older