Hit or miss

Rating: 6/10 (6 May 2002)

"Kingpin" is a harmless but overall unsatisfying comedy from the Farrelly Brothers. The premise is great, and it's nice how the Farrellys didn't let the gag involving Woody's rubber hand run its course, but it could've been handled much better. I still have no clue why Roger Ebert voted it as one of the funniest comedies ever. There are gags that work, and there are also gags that don't. And there are lapses of dullness between each gag. The cast is good. You can probably recognize certain Farrelly regulars like Lin Shaye and Chris Elliott. Woody Harrelson is terrific in the lead role. Then again, Woody never ceases to please. Randy Quaid is a perfect choice as the dim-witted Amish bowler. Vanessa Angel is great to look at, though her accent noticeably drifts at times. One thing I do have to criticize Peter and Bobby Farrelly for--and this even pertains to their good movies--is they always choose dorky music for their soundtracks. I liked the hip opening, set to "Disco Inferno," but from then on it's nothing but depressing easy listening tunes that only your grandparents enjoy listening to. Did they forget they were making a comedy??? We need something a tad more upbeat. The only cast member I can say was wasted was Bill Murray. He tries to get a few chuckles, playing an ultimately mean-spirited character, and he has very little screen time. I'm not placing the blame on Murray, I'm placing the blame on the screenwriters. If he had some good material, his appearance would've been more memorable.
There are only 3 scenes that made me laugh out loud, one being the hilarious barn-raising scene where Woody lets go of the ropes and the barn comes toppling down. Now, I don't exactly think the Farrelly's are "comic geniuses," but they have talent, which doesn't fully show in this hit-or-miss comedy.
My score: 6 (out of 10)