Let's Go Bowling

Rating: Null/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.