Lowbrow but not cliched

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2004)

Luckily, I hadn't seen 1994's Dumb & Dumber when Kingpin came out or I probably would have skipped the Farrellys' second picture. In all the areas I felt Dumb & Dumber failed (interesting characters, adequate plotting, creative uses for potty jokes), Kingpin excelled.
The story is a redemption plot for Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) after he follows Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray) down the dark path and it costs him his dream. Years after his downfall, Munson sees a chance to develop Amish simpleton Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid) into a champion bowler, reclaiming his professional and financial success.
No surprise, Bill Murray is the highlight of the film as Munson's protagonist. In fact, some of the biggest laughs were actually Murray's ad libs.
Still, if base humor offends you, you should probably avoid this film. The comedy is decidedly low brow but original and often well executed (Think "hair gel" scene from 1998's There's Something About Mary). Generally, I keep this sub-genre on a short leash. Kingpin won me over with its quirky characters and a superb comedic performance by Murray.
*** out of ****