There certainly are laughter-inducing scenes, but it's no "Dumb & Dumber"

Rating: 6/10 (4 March 2010)

This was the Farrelly brothers' (Peter and Bobby) follow-up to their 1994 theatrical debut, "Dumb & Dumber". I first saw "Kingpin" in 2000, four years after its release, and again in 2003. I didn't like it at all either time, and it might have been even worse for me the second time than the first, really leaving a bad taste in my mouth. After that, I obviously hoped never to see the movie again, but that eventually changed. Seeing "Dumb & Dumber" twice in 2007 and liking it both times was probably major reason for that. Over six and a half years since my second viewing of this follow-up, I've finally watched it for the third time, and the first time without anyone in the room with me. This was after watching Peter and Bobby's 1998 smash hit, "There's Something About Mary", which really left me puzzled about that film's appeal. I can't deny that watching "Kingpin" again was definitely better than the first two times I saw it, above average this time, but it still wasn't always funny.
Roy Munson grows up bowling, learning how to play the sport from his father at an early age. In 1979, he becomes a professional, but doesn't get very far, as fellow pro bowler Ernie McCracken gets him to participate in a bowling hustle, which leads to the amputation of Roy's right hand, the one he bowls with, by a group of thugs! Seventeen years later, he has not bowled since then, and has been drinking a lot. He has prosthetic hook and a rubber hand to wear over it. For a living, he sells bowling alley equipment, but is not very successful and struggles to try and pay his rent to his scary landlady. However, one day, after failing to make a sale, Roy sees a man bowling at the alley who seems to have a lot of potential. This man's name is Ishmael Boorg, and he lives in a nearby Amish community. He has secretly come to this alley to bowl, even though it goes against Amish beliefs. Roy comes to the Boorg home disguised as an Amish man to try and convince Ishmael to enter a tournament in which the winner will get $1,000,000. After Ishmael learns that his community's land will soon be taken unless they come up with $500,000, he agrees to take part in this tournament for a good cause, with Roy as his manager. On their trip, they are soon joined by Claudia, the abused girlfriend of a ruffian named Stanley, and also meet up with Ernie McCracken, Roy's sleazy rival from 1970's who is still a popular professional bowler, unlike him!
The first time I saw this second Farrelly brothers movie, I think it looked promising around the beginning, but in the end, I was not impressed. I'm not sure what I thought around the beginning the second time, but the third time, it seemed nothing more than mediocre at first. However, I found that it eventually improved slightly, and there were some very funny gags through the film's run, as well as some mildly amusing ones I guess. One highlight I can think of is the staged mugging, and Roy's landlady catching him with the man who posed as the mugger. A memorable gross-out gag (something the brothers are renowned for) is the lead character throwing up after having sex with his landlady to pay her, and the landlady saying things that make him throw up more. I know it's juvenile, but I thought most of this scene was amusing the third time. I laughed a number of times during the rest of the film, sometimes with the awkward relationship between Roy and Ishmael, and some of the things Ishmael does on the trip, such as acting as a female stripper and waking up with tattoos! Unfortunately, despite all the funny parts, the film isn't quite consistent enough with the gags, plus I found some parts perhaps a little too mean-spirited, and I don't think the film features the greatest comedy characters I've ever seen.
Lots of modern-day comedians/comedy filmmakers are known for their crude humour, with lots of jokes involving sex and bodily functions, and the Farrelly brothers are among these. It's a type of comedy some people can't stand, but I think it can be really funny, and that may sometimes be the case in "Kingpin", though not as much as it is in "Dumb & Dumber". This 1996 bowling comedy doesn't have as much appeal as its predecessor, nor can it match the appeal of "There's Something About Mary", another 90's Farrelly brothers comedy. I know most people would probably disagree with this, but I personally think this film comes somewhere in between the other two in terms of quality. At least this one doesn't have any gag as disturbing as the genital/zipper one in the 1998 box office smash! Then again, I've never seen ANY other gag that disturbing! To me, "Kingpin" could have been much more consistent with the laughs, but if you're old enough to watch it and like crude humour, I won't say skip it. It would probably help if you're a fan of the sport the film focuses on as well.