Kingpin (1996) User Reviews

Very funny movie

[851222 · 8/10 · 13 January 2023]

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Kingpin" (1996) is a hilarious comedy. Story was good, performances were even better, and script and directing were very good. Its like "Dumb and Dumber" but better. Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid were terrific together. Supporting cast which includes no other then Bill Murray was more excellent. The premise of this comedy is also a solid gold - its kinda takes itself not so serious but the jokes land because its a hilarious story in itself as well characters are superb - for a comedy.

Overall, "Kingpin" was definitely one of the more memorable comedies from the 90's. Directors really shined here and created something special and unforgettable.

Bowling anyone?

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 25 August 2005]

Bobby and Peter Farrelly, the directors of "Kingpin" show a great flair for this type of comedy. Not having seen it when it first was released, we were lucky to catch it on cable the other night, and frankly, it proved to be a happy choice. The Farrellys had a good screen play by Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan to work with, as they showed a talent for assembling a wonderful cast to make this a winning comedy the fun and exciting film it is.

The best thing in the film are Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray. Mr. Harrelson plays Roy Munson, the man who love bowling, but through an unfortunate incident, loses his ability to play the sport he was born to play. Woody Harrelson is wonderful in his portrayal of Munson. Bill Murray's role is much smaller, but he does wonders with it. Best of all is the way we see him at the bowling tournament in Reno with his teased hair in disarray.

The rest of the cast is good. Randy Quaid as Ishmael Boorg, gives a funny reading of his naive character. Also the attractive Vanessa Angel plays the woman who has an interest in the game.

Hilarious

[whiskeyinabowlerhat · 7/10 · 9 February 2022]

Great movie still holds up well today. Cinematography top notch, acting amazing from whole cast, directing on point, casting fantastic. Couldn't ask for anything better. Wet yourself laughter.

Bill Murray at his best!

[bat-5 · 7/10 · 10 July 1999]

Bill Murray pretty much steals the show every time he's on the screen. He's sleazy, he's smarmy and he's very funny. With that comb-over going nuts at the big game, and his victory dance at the end makes Kingpin that much better. That's not saying that the rest of the film isn't good, it is. Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Vanessa Angel make a very odd partnership. An Amish bowling whiz, a one handed ex-bowler, and a very sexy hustler scheme and dream to make it to Reno, but of course they have to beat Big Ern.

I Almost Died Of Laughter

[alexkolokotronis · 10/10 · 3 February 2009]

This of course is not a great movie but I just have to give it a 10/10. I have never laughed more in my life. Even the jokes that aren't funny are funny. This film's comedic build up is about the best you will ever see. It doesn't even matter what the punch line is, its how they get to it thats hilarious.

Now this cast was perfect. Anytime you have Randy Quaid in a film you just know the film is going to make you life just by looking at him. Kingpin couldn't have shown this any better as he plays an Amish man who just happens to be amazingly talented at bowling. Woody Harrelson plays a has-been ex-professional bowler who makes a comeback with managing through Randy Quaid. Together they go on a ride across the country making money left and right. Along the journey they are great supporting comedic performances given by Bill Murray and Vanessa Angel who certainly makes the look of the film more appealing.

The Farrelly brothers in my opinion give their best direction they've yet to have. Yet it is the writers who so perfectly set up one joke after another. It seems as if the script is so sharp that their are jokes within jokes. The Farrelly brother handle this material so well by virtual unknowns.

As I have said before this is not a great film but I would highly recommend this if your in the mood of watching something spontaneous. It may not be the most technically sound movie ever made or the deepest but I have never laughed so much in life and that in it self is what comedies are about.

Just Sit Back and Laugh

[sbel-06989 · 7/10 · 21 August 2023]

If you are looking for a cinematic masterpiece look elsewhere. If you are looking to laugh for 90 minutes than this is the movie for you. The plot is predictable the acting is so so, but it is just plain funny. Especially Woody Harrelson Randy Quaid Bill Murray and Vanessa Angel

I laugh every time I have scene it and I have scene it well over a 100 times.

Most of the jokes are vulgar and crude so if that is not your style than I suggest you skip it. Again definitely not Academy Award material but funny funny funny. Just sit back and enjoy you don't even have to like bowling but it helps. Check your brain at the door and laugh.

This film is rude, crude and very funny

[lambiepie-2 · 10/10 · 19 November 2002]

When this film first came out, I had no use for it. Then I was home sick one day and caught it on cable. I laughed my butt off. This is a crude, rude and down right funny film. It also helped that I grew up near the Pennsylvania Dutch and plenty of bowling lanes. Two seemingly safe areas that the Farley brothers attack it without mercy. Sometimes it gets down right disgusting and many cannot stomach, but overall, its very funny.

Bill and Woody were funny as anything. The Disco-era beginning makes me laugh like crazy. The commercial Bill Murray does is to die for. This film will offend alot of people, and many references played for humor may make folks feel uncomfortable, but I loved it. If you are easily offended, this is NOT the film for you. But for everyone else who likes rude, crude and deviously funny -- often at the expense of others kinda humor, this is a gem to see.

Long Live the Comb Over

[mapeoleaf · 7/10 · 30 December 2003]

I thought this movie was great. It has a fantastic cast made up of Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, and Bill Murray. I agree with other users that this film has not been rated fairly. You simply have to take it for what it's worth, and I personally think it's wonderful!

Woody Harrelson plays Roy Munson, a drunken, former pro-bowler trying with much difficulty to earn a buck. He discovers a young Amish man who may be his ticket back to bowling prestige (if that actually exists). The two bowling hopefuls proceed on a road trip to win the grand prize in a bowling championship in Las Vegas. This movie is truly hilarious! Woody Harrelson does a fantastic job in the role of the sad sack ex-bowler with a rubber hand. He seems to have aged ten years in his portrayal of this character. Bill Murray is his adversary, "Big Ern" McCracken, whose bad toupee seems to have a life of its own. Murray is wonderful in this role with his cocky and pompous attitude. There are certain scenes of his character in a television commercial that are quite literally, marvelous. Finally to finish off this stellar cast we have Randy Quaid as Ishmael, the Naïve Amish man who could quite possibly be the next Bowling legend. I must also mention the gorgeous Vanessa Angel as Claudia. Her character is under developed but she still has the charisma and sex appeal to ignite her scenes.

This movie must be viewed for what it is worth. This means, it is not Oscar material but it is a very funny movie. So watch the film with this in mind and enjoy all the hilarious scenes and great performances.

7/10

A really funny comedy

[martymaster · 24 February 2002]

This is a hillarious comedy,which goes where no comedy has gone before.Nothing is to weird for this comedy.Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson are great in their roles and the story is so simple that it is funny.It is about winning a bowling tournament. This movie is directed by the Farrelly brothers,and I think that explains it all. Go and see it now.

my notes

[FeastMode · 5/10 · 26 July 2019]

Good for a bunch of laughs including some really funny parts, but also pretty long with extensive amounts of unfunny time. i didn't like it overall, but i had a decent time with it. wouldn't watch it again (about 2 viewings)

Now I Know Why I Quit Bowling

[ray-280 · 10/10 · 16 August 2005]

I say this in a good way: this film captures bowling's underbelly, where even the pro stars sometimes have to supplement their income the old-fashioned way: by taking it directly from obviously weaker bowlers who somehow manage to be convinced to risk their money. Just as poker games are often won with guns, bowling for money has hazards all its own, something I learned even as a junior bowler hustling games after the league on Saturday.

Roy E. Munson (Woody Harrelson) is such a loser that acting like a total loser is actually called "being Munsoned." The term is named after an incident where some victims of a bowling hustle relieve Roy of his right hand in a gruesome manner which involves bowling equipment. Somehow, even THAT manages to be funny, which speaks to the quality of this film, a film smart enough to have its three main stars on screen for most of the time. The 1979 accident was the result of Roy taking the fall for the hustle engineered by legendary bowler Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray).

Fast forward to 1996, and Roy stumbles across an Amish bowler named Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid), the most talented bowler he's ever come across. He offers to coach Ishmael for a $1 million tournament in Reno, Nevada that can save his family farm, but Ishmael is conflicted (the deepest emotion of the film) because he has strayed from the Amish country. Ishmael's brother is the requisite family member sent to bring the stray relative back home, and Vanessa Angel is extra-hot as the love interest for almost every guy in the film.

If you think this is a parody of bowling, the joke may be on you. Hang around enough lanes, in certain places, and you just might see these guys or something very close to them. Just be careful if they look drunk and want to play for money.

Pitifully unfunny gross-out film.

[rejoefrankel · 1/10 · 16 February 2000]

Kingpin wants to be the film that people talk about and grimace with a smile. It wants to be the ultimate in politically incorrect, tasteless, gross-out comedy, but it fails miserably. There is virtually nothing in this film that warrants two hours of the discriminating viewer's time OR the usually gifted cast. A waste of celluloid. As forgettable as it is unfunny.

A Good Time

[Wild-2 · 17 October 1998]

"Kingpin" is a hilarious, laugh at loud comedy. But what Farrelly Brother's movie isn't. See this and every other movie they made.

The crass breakout Farrelly Brothers comedy still holds up

[a_chinn · 7/10 · 12 July 2018]

I saw this back in the day in the theater at a midnight showing and loved it. "Kingpin" was a box office disappointment upon it's original release, but it found it's audience on home video and became something of a cult classic. The set-up is basically "The Natural" except instead of a 1920s Robert Redford having his baseball career cut short, we have a 1970s Woody Harrelson's promising professional bowling career cut short. Harrelson resurfaces 20 something years later to mentor an Amish bowling prospect, Randy Quaid, in order to get payback against bowling star Bill Murray, who was responsible for Harrelson's career ending bowling injury. Suffice to say, it's not the story that made this film memorable. It's the many over-the-top hilarious gags and some surprisingly earnest characters that make this film still hold up today. Some of he best gags involve Harrelson's rubber hand, the foul mouthed Lin Shaye, Harrelson trying to pass as Amish, Quade getting some cold drinks, and an odd Indecent Proposal sequence involving a cameo by Chris Elliott, but it's really Bill Murray who steal every scene that he's in, whether he's mugging after losing a bowling match, doing a self serving infomercial, or something as small as his bad hair combover, he is absolutely hilarious in what might arguable be his best comedic performance (and that's saying something). It's really too bad Murray's part is a supporting role, but it may be his limited screen time that makes his performance so special. Writer/directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly had previously made the popular (and I believe critically underrated) "Dumb and Dumber," but it was this film that helped pave the way for the slew of raunchy 90s comedies that followed, such as "American Pie," the Farrellys own "There's Something About Mary," all the way up to "Superbad." The 80s certainly had it's fair share of Porky's inspired raunch, but this new generation is a bit more story and character driven than their sleazier 80s counterparts. The main weakness of "Kingpin" is that the sappy maudlin elements of the story, which do certainly make the characters more empathetic, are often incongruous with the raunchy and absurd comedic elements. It's hard to go from Harrelson "milking" a bull or "paying" his rent to his hideous landlady to caring whether he finds redemption and self respect. However, "Kingpin" remains an enjoyably crass and rude comedy that although not be for all tastes is a hilarious treat if you can get into the spirit of the film. Vanessa Angel, Richard Tyson, Rob Moran, and Daniel Greene also appear in the film.

Kingpin is an awesome movie and thats all I really need to say.

[dobbin-4 · 7/10 · 27 September 2007]

Kingpin is one of Farrely brothers early movies which makes you laugh from start to finish. The movies is about Roy Munson(Woody Harrelson) a bowler who may just be the best ever for the sport. After a freak accident caused by Ernie Mcracken(Bill Murray)he can never bowl again. After 17 years he meets Ishmael(Randy Quaid) an Amish who secretly bowls at the local shack and of course takes him under his wing the only way the Farrely Brothers know how. The movie is hilarious the whole way and even though could of risked putting Bill Murray in a bit more it was definitely one of the best Farrely Brothers movies. Overall the movie is a must watch for any fan of such movies as There's something about Mary, Dumb and Dumber and other movies along that line or if you just wanna watch a movie that will make you laugh. I rate this movie 73%.

An abrasive comedy that is not for all tastes

[mulhollandman · 10/10 · 26 August 2006]

Kingpin should be approached with the same kind apprehension that any sane person would approach any Farrelly Brothers film. Expect a procession of jokes at the expensive of the main characters, fused with an simple storyline and that's exactly what to expect from a Farrelly brothers film.

Woody Harrelson plays Roy Munson a washed bowler that had potential to be a professional Bowler but his dream comes to an end when he encounters Ernie McCracken, played to perfection by Bill Murray who ends up costing Roy Munson his bowling hand. Cut to mid-90's Roy is now an alcoholic, in serious debt. A chance meeting with Ishamel Boorg, played by Randy Quaid, an naive Amish man at a bowling alley leads to the pairs cross country trip to save both their respective futures. Along the way they met Claudia, played by Vanessa Angel, a tough talking con woman with her own mission. Together the three form an unbreakable bond and come face to face with their adversary Ernie McCracken.

I like my comedy to be intelligent, and Kingpin is one of the few movies of its kind that actually makes me laugh. It made me laugh when I first saw it in 1996 it made me laugh till I was sore and now ten years on in 2006 it still makes me laugh. The cast are brilliant and it's their talents that really keep this comedy from dating. Randy Quaid is always solid, Vanessa Angel is devilish sexy and cunning, Woody Harrelson is suitably vexed and Bill Murray reminds us all why he has remained Hollywood's main comedy actor long since all his peers disappeared.

Kingpin is definitely for an adult audience and it is worth watching some night that there is nothing on the television or at the cinema. Not for all tastes but damn it is good and it is one of the Farrelly brothers better films in my opinion. 10 out of 10

A gross satire that works

[Ana_Banana · 7/10 · 24 January 2022]

On a second viewing (after the disappointing first), it grows on you, surprisingly. Of course it's outrageous in places, but somehow it manages to turn this into a peculiar kind of humor, highlighted through repetition (well, see the landlady's recurrent appearances). It has some really laughable lines, situations and scenes, and its very situation (bowling glory) is especially prone to satire and ridicule addressed to its exaggerated subculture (hence, also to other aspects of society).

I Haven't laughed THIS hard at the movies too often

[KUAlum26 · 9/10 · 22 July 2006]

Young Roy Munson has been raised to be a bowler.It's what he does best. In 1979,at the age of eighteen,Roy(Woody Harrelson from here on out)is at the top of his game and a bona-fide star in his Ohio hometown. After he beats Ace pro Ernie"The Big Ern"McCracken(Bill Murray,smarmy and snarkly as ever)in a match,he is raked into Ernie's con game and pays a dear price for it.

Seventen years later,Roy is anything but the local hero he once was. He lives in a seedy apartment in small town Pennsylvania,does odd sales jobs and has to "satisfy" his decrepit landlady to avoid the rent. It's at one of the bowling alleys that Roy does routes to that he witnesses one Ishmael Boorg(Randy Quaid,backing his scene stealing performance in ID4 with this bravura turn),a sweet,gentle Amish man-child who has a natural knack for bowling. Needing money and smelling a chance at scoring big time,Roy decides to take Ishmael under his wing.

On the way to a Million dollar tournament in Las Vegas,Roy and Ishmael pick up a comely stowaway and ally in a gangster's moll(VAnessa Angel) and bond from mishap to mishap.

There's nothing particularly brilliant or especially sharp about this offering,the second from the brothers Farrelly,but its uniqueness and lack of restraint on the gross-out humor make this movie a very easy watch(for those who love that kind of stuff,of course). Harrelson,Quaid,Murray and Angel move effortlessly through this flick,which may explain why it's so good. Since this film,the Farrellys have steadily moved away from the almost merciless gross-out gags of their films and has made seeing their films a little less riotous and fun,so this movie is a healthy reminder of what a little imagination(I mean,honestly...a movie about Bowling AND the Amish?)and mischief can make. A great cheap rent or cable TV movie.

Typical 90's Pulp Comedy -- Turn off your brain and enjoy

[mikayakatnt · 7/10 · 30 October 2019]

A typical 90's pulp fiction comedy movie.

Kingpin is such a silly movie that knows that it's not going to take itself seriously. There's a certain charm with the over-the-topness humor that the film uses. Some great humorous moments that hold solid even by today's standard.

3.5/5. Leave it up to the Farrelly Brothers to make a pretty solid comedy movie about bowling. Kudos to them for going places that no one else would.

Entertaining But Falls Apart Towards The End

[peeedeee-94281 · 5/10 · 9 October 2019]

I finally got around to watching this Farrelly brothers movie. I've seen Dumb & Dumber, There's Something About Mary, etc... I thought I had scene Kingpin, but as I watched it, it didn't seem familiar. The story wasn't quite original. A star athelete who gets down on his luck and finds a protege to coach to greatness - its been done many times before. This one was set in the world of bowling. For this movie, unfortunately, you have to set a lot of the logic aside to really find it funny. Like an Amish guy who is an expert bowler and is able to hide it from his family (strangely, they kept calling him a 'boy', Randy Quaid looked older than Woody Harrelson). Somehow they are able to travel across the country with almost no money, with the intention of arriving in Reno Nevada to enter a bowling tournament? But where the movie really falls apart is the whole thing was a set up for Randy Quaid's Ishmael character to shine in Reno. But then he hurts his hand, and Woody Harrelson's Roy decides to bowl instead. Huh? So you think, hmm, how is he going to bowl with his left hand? Is he going to have time to practise? No, the movie instead has him using his prosthetic hand to bowl. Now, throughout the movie, we've been shown how the hand is more like a glorified rubber glove. It's very flimsy, and can come off easily. The fingers have no support, so they're easily bent back. Yet, Roy suddenly is able to carry a 12lb bowling ball in that hand?!! That's where the movie really loses me. Then you have Ishmael leaving without saying goodbye, so you think that Roy is mad at him, because Ishmael didn't even stay to see him win or lose. And even though Roy manages to earn some money (who pays a $500,000 advance for advertising?), he gives it all just to save Ishmael's Amish community. Seems a bit too generous, even if he did get the love of bowling back, kind of. So while this comedy has some enjoyable moments, the way Roy is able to bowl competitively after not having bowled in 17 years, and with a soft rubber glove, doesn't really hold up. But I will say I did find the fly away comb-overs that Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson had in that final match was pretty funny. Yes, I get it's a comedy, but come on, this isn't set in a fantasy world on a fantasy planet. Farrelly brothers should have come up with a better final 20 minutes.

Really laugh-out-loud funny

[Herbert-5 · 25 October 1998]

I went to see There's Something About Mary and liked it so much that I decided to rent Kingpin for the hell of it. I'll probably get into some heat for saying this, but, I actually liked this one more than Mary. Harrelson, Quaid, Murray, etc. are all funnier than Dillon or Diaz or even Stiller, I think they have a lot more comedic talent than any of Mary's various players. Don't get me wrong though, I liked Mary, I just loved Kingpin. It's a shame that Mary turned out to be the money maker and almost no one's ever heard of this one. I hope that when people go see Mary, they'll do their research on the Farrelly brothers and check this one out. I just have one request to the brothers for their next film, don't hire that Chris Elliot guy, he just really sucks.

Let's Go Bowling

[sol- · 7/10 · 25 November 2017]

Strapped for cash, an injured former bowling champion hatches a cunning plan to coach a talented young man to lucrative tournament success in this lively comedy from the Farrelly Brothers. As per Farrelly norm, the film is littered with crude humour and childish gross-out gags. Also, as per the Farrellys' earlier 'Dumb & Dumber', there are one too many gags at the expense of a main character's naivety. 'Kingpin' is frequently funny throughout though with even some of the cruder puns ("we have a bull") working well. Much of the film's success is due to how likable and empathetic Woody Harrelson is as the bowling champ whose life has gone downhill ever since his arm was severed. It is a character that could have easily been written as pathetic, but on the contrary, he is passionate and imaginative, going to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying the rent and to convince the talented young man (an Amish farmer) to take him on as coach. The film also benefits from Bill Murray at his funniest, some fun movie references ('The Graduate'; 'Indecent Proposal') and the way the story defies generic expectations and ends with loose ends as the fates of certain characters are not actually germane to the plot. And it is quite a warm tale that the film spins beneath its obscenities: a story of not giving up and the belief that all people can change.

Woody Harrelson's Best?

[ajs-8649 · 10/10 · 24 December 2019]

I'm genuinely surprised to see this film rated at a 6.9? I do not personally know anyone who's watched this film and not laughed. It's dark/ absurd humor throughout, and it does that flawlessly. For what this film was trying to be, it's a 10/10. Though I suppose it's doubtful you're reading a review 23+ years later trying to decide if you should watch it. If that's you though, this random guy on the internet says that you should.

A very funny movie

[cm5223 · 6/10 · 27 August 1999]

I wasn't too sure about this film when a friend recommended it but after watching it I realised that this was a very funny movie. It does get serious in a few scenes here and there but otherwise its comedy all the way.

There were quite a few scenes where I just couldn't stop laughing. I won't give anything away at this moment. Just watch the movie and find out.

Jokes that only a 10 yr old would like

[fitmindfitbody · 2/10 · 15 July 2017]

No matter what your chronological age, if you're a 13 yr old boy in emotion, then you might enjoy this humor. I definitely didn't see humor or entertainment in watching a man being held by other men who put his hand in a machine to hack it off. That's for starters. In my experience, males are willing to have sex with any human, object,or animal, and don't truly care about appearance as long as it feels good. Good looks are only necessary when they're out in public. So the idea that this guy would vomit after having sex with a woman because she's unattractive (while she emerges grateful) is unrealistic enough without the tired grotesqueness of juvenile (You said "Do-Do"!! HAAHAHA) potty-talk afterwards.