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Kingpin Play Trailer

Kingpin (1996)

tomatometer

50

Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 3

No consensus yet.

audience

62

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 79,882

My Rating

Movie Info

In the '70s, Roy Munsen (Woody Harrelson) was a bowling phenomenon. He was none too sharp about picking friends, though, and the champion he had to beat, "Big Ern," takes him under his supposedly friendly wing. Big Ern (Bill Murray) shows him the high-living lifestyle, and induces him to go on the road with him, hustling small-town bowlers. A couple of the men he bilks take exception to the scam, and show their displeasure with Roy by mangling his hand. Twenty years later, Roy (who now has a

PG-13,

Comedy

,

Apr 22, 1998

MGM Home Entertainment

Cast

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Kingpin Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for Kingpin

All Critics (49) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (18) | DVD (18)

With maybe 25 belly laughs, the brazenly crude Kingpin is often uproarious, but be forewarned that its creators apparently conceived it underneath a limbo bar. How looow can a funny guilty pleasure go?

January 1, 2000
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The combination of the overkill factor and a basic mean-spiritedness finally sinks it for me.

October 10, 2007 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | Comments (2)
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

I found the sleazy comedy more tedious than watching an actual bowling match.

October 9, 2007 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment (1)
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Ends up with a seven-ten split between hilariously tasteless and just plain distasteful.

August 4, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Funny, outrageous, vulgar. The only bowling comedy in memory.

April 23, 2007 | Comments (3)
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

Crude and hilarious

September 2, 2005
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

It's funny in parts in a tasteless, Farrelly Brothers way. Freedy Johnston's incidental music provides one of the 90s most pleasing scores.

March 9, 2004
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS) Source: F5 (Wichita, KS)

The Farrelly brothers funniest comedy.

July 6, 2003
Gerry Shamray
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

Has plenty of clever sight gags and outrageous jokes you can't help laughing at, no matter how hard you resist.

June 18, 2003 Full Review
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

...fun, even if most of it is based on cruelty and hardship.

April 21, 2002
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis
View all critic reviews (49)

Audience Reviews for Kingpin

The Farrelly Brothers have made some very memorable comedies. Dumb & Dumber, There's Something About Mary, Me, Myself & Irene to name a few. Kingpin though is one of their best. Kingpin is the story of a once great bowler who due to a con gone awry got his bowling hand cut off, thus ending his career. Twenty years later, Roy Munson is a down on his luck sales who one day discovers at a bowling alley, a talented Amish bowler. Roy proceeds to take the Amish Boy, Ishmael under his wiong and proceed to make him a bowling champion. Kingpin is a hilarious comedy with some of the funniest gags I've seen in a comedy. Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid are terrific on screen, and Bill Murray also delivers some laughs in the role of Ernie McCracken. The Farrelly Brothers continue to build on the comedy after their film Dumb & Dumber, but this time, their comedy a lot more confident here than it was with Dumb & Dumber. Dumb & Dumber felt it had to prove something to be a great comedy, but Kaingpin feels more confident about the subject and its actually at times more funny. Dumb & Dumber is a classic, but Kingpin feels like the Farrelly Brothers didn't have to prove themselves as good comedy writers. The comedy here is original , fun, and hilarious. Kingpin is an overlooked Farrelly Brothers film that shouldn't be passed up, Dumb & Dumber was great, but Kingpin is just as worthy a follow up to their classic than anything. Kingpin is an unforgettable comedy with lots of laughs.
June 1, 2011
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

how this film can be rated any less than a ten is beyond me. the tragic character of Roy Munson is genius in itself but the true golden star of this film is Ernie McCracken played by bill Murray. an egotistical, vindictive bowling champ who's only ambitions are to bowl and fondle! the film is chock full with gags and more importantly original ones. the film takes us through the effervescence of young Roy Munson and his god given gift (bowling) and hammers us down with his sad demise. he find solace in booze and ...well more booze until he hits the jackpot with the sound of one strike. through Roy's struggle to climb out of the gutter his tormented past comes back to haunt him and the story evolves into one of courage,friendship and extreme stupidity. the best selling point i can give to people who have yet to indulge is simply this, i very rarely laugh out loud at a film but my sides were in agony after watching this and i think i may of ruptured something.
March 30, 2007
YodaMasterJedi
MisterYoda ?

Super Reviewer

View all audience reviews

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Kingpin Quotes

    1. Roy Munson: Yeah, a big military train derailed and this whole area is in danger of being contaminated by a huge cloud of... Shit!
    – Submitted by Damian B (12 months ago)
    1. Roy Munson: [no one talking] Who you calling a psycho?
    – Submitted by James B (14 months ago)
    1. Roy Munson: You call this a bowling alley.
    – Submitted by topher h (19 months ago)
    1. Ishmael: 10 frames, thats for quakers.
    – Submitted by topher h (19 months ago)
    1. Ernie McCracken: Pressure? Yeah there was some pressure, I mean I didn't wanna lose to a guy with a hook.
    – Submitted by topher h (19 months ago)
View all quotes (5)

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