Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10097 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-24
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Johnny Knoxville (Jackass, A Dirty Shame) stars as a man who pretends to be mentally challenged so he can fix the Special Olympics. This morally dubious premise (the movie goes to great lengths to be sure you understand how appalling it is) is not as inflammatory as it could be--The Ringer is careful not to mock its mentally challenged characters. This is sometimes a source of strength, as some of the funniest jokes come from the perspective of the athletes--for example, a group of the other athletes recognize that Steve (Knoxville) is not the high-functioning mentally disabled guy he pretends to be, but they go along with the masquerade and even help Steve because they can't stand the snotty reigning champion. But this respectfulness also makes the movie feel cautious and inhibited (one imagines there's a wealth of un-PC jokes that got cut out of the script so it could pass muster with the Special Olympics, who gave the movie its blessing). As a result, the movie's real plot turns out to be a love story, as Steve falls for one of the Special Olympics volunteers (Katherine Heigl, Romy and Michelle: In the Beginning) and has to find sneaky ways to undermine her slimy boyfriend. All in all, an uneven comedy with occasional flashes of wicked wit. Also featuring the always-welcome Brian Cox (Adaptation, X-Men 2).--Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
Peter and Bobby Farrelly have always expressed an especially warm but unsentimental attitude in their films toward those with disabilities, most notably in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and SHALLOW HAL. THE RINGER, which they produced (but neither wrote nor directed), takes this trait to feverish new heights. JACKASS-cum-leading man stars Johnny Knoxville as office schmo Steve Barker, whose request for more responsibility at his job indirectly results in the severing of four fingers from the hand of Stavi, the mild-mannered office janitor. When Steve requests financial help from his morally-questionable gambling addict Uncle Gary (Brian Cox), Stevie finds himself posing as Jeffy an athlete in the Special Olympics whose victory against track champion Jimmy (Leonard Flowers) could spell an end to Uncle Gary's debts and the reattaching of Stavi's fingers. Though a basic description of its premise would make most viewers cry foul, THE RINGER skirts the obvious charge of exploitation by making the mentally challenged characters the only ones to realise that Steve is only acting handicapped. Steve's fellow Olympians are cast with a combination of veteran character actors and real-life former Special Olympians (most notably Edward Barbanell, John Taylor, and Leonard Flowers) who, while lending the film authenticity, also spark with comic timing and the true joy of being on camera. Knoxville once again makes an affable hero, and Ricky Blitt's screenplay, while crass by nature, keeps true vulgarity at bay in favour of a good nature that makes simplicity an asset.

Customer Reviews

awesome!
This film is one of the best comedy films i have ever seen.

Its made by the same people that made dumb and dumber so you know its going to be really funny if its by the same people. Ill admit when i seen a preview on GMTV last year i thought it was going to be kind of lame. but man i was wrong.

The character jeffy is superbly played by Johnny Knoxville. His Character will have you up in stitches of luaghs. And the other characters are soo funny.

This is a film you can watch in the morning, then watch at night in the same day and you will find it even funnier at night.

If you dont have a good sense of humour or you're not very open minded or you're not very got with gettin jokes quikly then this film is'nt for you as its a film you can't take to seriously and alot of the funny bits happen quikly. so you have to keep your eyes open to truely enjoy this film!

give him a starvy wave!

10/10

Watchable but not up there with others!
When I started to watch this I was unsure what to expect. A comedy about the special olympics - is that right? As the film developed the shock value humour that I was expecting was not there, thankfully, as I was starting to feel bad about laughing at people less fortunate than myself. The film does have fleeting moments of humour although I am not entirely sure this was meant to be a laugh a minute film. The characters are sensitively introduced and ends up being a film which treats people respectfully as opposed to ridicule. Not a brilliant film but certainly worth a watch if you have time to spare.

Good...but not good enough
That the Special Olympics gave their backing to this film is both a blessing and a curse. It stops those involved being accused of bad taste and degrading a fine institution, but at the same time, I feel it stifled the movie a lot. Given a bit more freedom, I think that this movie could have been the bad taste extraveganza people were expecting and yet could have still retained it's message of tolerance and acceptance. The notion of someone pretending to be mentally challenged to fix the Special Olympics is both funny and wrong and it needed to be handled in the right way. Unfortunately, the right way here is also a little bland. That's not to say that the film is bad, as it isn't. It is just isn't what you would expect and therefore could be considered a let down for some. Changing your expectations before watching this is helpful. The film is still sweet and funny and definitely of the feel good variety.

Johnny Knoxville is good as Steve, but better as Jeffy, his mentally challenged alter ego. It sounds like damning with faint praise as I am a big fan of his, but while his acting is good, he isn't consistant, and there are still the odd clunky, awkward moments, but he certainly isn't as bad as some think. Brian Cox is great as Uncle Gary, but the character isn't repellant enough. Someone who comes up with the plan to fix the games should be sleazier than he is. Katherine Heigl as SO volunteer Lynn looks pretty, but isn't given much to do other than be almost too good to be true. The supporting cast are outstanding, however, a mixture of mentally challenged and non-mentally challenged actors. They nab most of the best lines. There is a great chemistry, however, between all the cast members, especially between Knoxville and his fellow Special Olympians. The romantic story between him and Heigl, however, is a little predictable and it feels crowbarred into the plot.

The best of the special features is the commentary featuring Knoxville and two of his co stars, Eddie Barbanell and John Taylor, the director, the writer and Peter Farrelly (the Farrellys being only producers here - I can't help but wonder if the film would have benefited from some Farrelly direction?) The commentary seems to feature a bit more of the wit and edge that the film lacks, especially the banter between Knoxville and the writer Ricky Blitt. Highlights include the team taking the micky out of Knoxville's womanising, hard drinking reputation (citing Katherine Heigl as being the only woman on set he didn't sleep with and how his look of confusion in one scene was because he saw someone move his sixpack) and his own self deprecating attitude towards his acting. A refreshing change from a lot of Hollywood egos who think that everything they do is golden. Eddie Barbanell (who plays Knoxville's roommate Billy) is very funny and shows that having intellectual disablities is absolutely no barrier to being a smart guy.

The deleted scenes, for the most part are filler and wouldn't have added much to the film, but they do contain some edgier stuff - Steve as Jeffy becoming a little over excited on receiving a hug from Lynn being a particular highlight.

This is a film worth seeing and hopefully one that will break down a few of the misconceptions people have about the mentally challenged. If it does that, then it will have been worth it, but it is a shame that the film couldn't have crossed a few more lines than it did.