The Ringer
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: December 23, 2005
6.0
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 45 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
20
Mixed:
16
Negative:
9
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
9
RobertC.Mar 30, 2006
Clearly this is a film which produces strong reactions. I thought it was jaw droppingly brilliant and funny. I could have done without the sentimental epilogue but the US seems to like that sort of thing and they made it. I thought the girl Clearly this is a film which produces strong reactions. I thought it was jaw droppingly brilliant and funny. I could have done without the sentimental epilogue but the US seems to like that sort of thing and they made it. I thought the girl was a dish - where has she been all my life? Sadly the enormous cinema inLleicester square where I saw it was empty. Pity.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
MarkB.Jan 10, 2006
Under normal circumstances, the only person who'd qualify as being equally or more despicable than someone who attempts to rig the Special Olympics is someone who thinks the whole idea is a real gas and tries to make a comedy about it. Under normal circumstances, the only person who'd qualify as being equally or more despicable than someone who attempts to rig the Special Olympics is someone who thinks the whole idea is a real gas and tries to make a comedy about it. Well, as those of us who have watched There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal already know, there's nothing normal about the Farrelly brothers. They have a large number of off-screen friends who are physically and/or mentally challenged (and cast them in nearly all their movies) , they do a lot of spare-time volunteer work for related causes, and in general they work out of not only a deep sense of compassion but also affection for this community. And believe it or not, they and screenwriter Ricky Blitt and director Barry Blaustein actually come up with a farcically plausible premise that makes nice guy Steve's attempt to pull off such an outrageous ruse at least understandable (if definitely not justifiable). It says a lot for the depth of The Ringer's insight into its subject matter that Steve's mentally challenged teammates see through his con almost immediately; they instinctively know he isn't one of them. The dodgiest plot element is that the movie's potential romantic interest (Katherine Heigl), a Special Olympics coach, DOESN'T catch on that Steve is pretending to be what he's not, but this is chalked up to a good-natured naivete on her part that also allows her to be strung along by the traditional Bad Boyfriend. The movie is sweet but not sentimental (at least until the last ten minutes when it's genuinely earned the right to be); it's consistently amusing while pulling off the small miracle of NOT making you feel bad about laughing, and the casting is truly impressive: it's extremely difficult to tell which of the Special Olympians in the film are being played by really good actors pretending to be challenged and which are real-life mentally challenged folks who also really good actors. (I tried to guess a couple of times and was wrong on both counts.) Brian Cox plays Steve's slimy uncle, who concocts the plot, and if I wasn't previously convinced of what a great actor he is, I am now: forget his moving monologue at the end of 25th Hour or that he was the original Hannibal Lector; if his ability to make this sleazebag come across as fairly likable isn't the mark of greatness, nothing is. And as for Johnny Knoxville (The Dukes of Hazzard), let's just say that I'm not normally a fan, to say the least; the close-up of a filled department store commode in Jackass: The Movie pretty much sums up my general opinion of his career--but here he not only makes the difficult masquerade work, but surprisingly turns out to be an engaging, funny and sympathetic leading man. Just one unexpected surprise in a movie that's full of them: The Ringer takes the worst, most tasteless movie premise of 2005 and turns it into one of that year's most entertaining and endearing crowd-pleasers.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
BubbleManJun 17, 2006
It wasn't as good as Benchwarmers IMO because it was like true love, not funny love. But otherwise it was a really good movie with funny jokes through out the whole movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
lolal.Dec 22, 2005
Hilarious! Although, if you have no experience with people with special needs then you probably cannot appreciate the humour to its fullest extent. Portrays everyone realistically without being overly 'nice' to those who face Hilarious! Although, if you have no experience with people with special needs then you probably cannot appreciate the humour to its fullest extent. Portrays everyone realistically without being overly 'nice' to those who face different challenges than others.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
ManiTJan 5, 2006
Was this supposed to be a Comedy or some type of love story? I absolutely did not see anything funny in it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
CharlieN.May 17, 2006
It has a good heart, but it's not very funny.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
DrewH.Dec 23, 2005
Hahaha o wow this plot is hilarious i cant believe how original they were! o wait i remember a southpark episode where cartman rigged the special olympics to make money.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
DanL.Dec 24, 2005
It's ehh......more of a rent than to dish out 9.95 for. Oh, and Johnny Knoxville is NOT funny.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
MaryR.Dec 25, 2005
Very sweet and funny. Except for some occasional crude humor, it is a good family movie so that kids can see that mentally challenged people are no different -- they love and laugh just like everyone else.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
DJAnthonyDec 28, 2005
I went expecting a comedy. What I got was a mostly insipid love story. Yawn!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
TylerD.Jan 29, 2006
The Ringer worked surprisingly well. Johnny Knoxville actually makes fun of himself rather than than the handicapped, which I'm sure many of you thought wasn't going to happen. Many of the funny parts come from the handicapped The Ringer worked surprisingly well. Johnny Knoxville actually makes fun of himself rather than than the handicapped, which I'm sure many of you thought wasn't going to happen. Many of the funny parts come from the handicapped making fun of Knoxville, like the part "When the F*** did we get ice cream!?". The handicapped definitely outsmart the non-handicapped in this laugh-out-loud comedy.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
CarsonO.Dec 29, 2005
Wow. the worst movie i've ever seen. just terrible.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
ConnorS.Dec 31, 2005
I saw this movie today, and i thought it was hilarious. the reason why i thought it was a good movie was because it was not pointless. it had a very good plot, and taught a good lesson. i think that it isi definetly worth buying. and alsoI saw this movie today, and i thought it was hilarious. the reason why i thought it was a good movie was because it was not pointless. it had a very good plot, and taught a good lesson. i think that it isi definetly worth buying. and also have to add that johnny knoxville is getting quite good at acting. lets just say he was not too great in dukes of hazzard.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
ydnar4Feb 2, 2015
Sure it may be focusing on a touchy subject and it could be considered offensive to some people but overall I found The Ringer a funny and cute movie. Johnny Knoxville working with the developmentally disabled kids made for some funny momentsSure it may be focusing on a touchy subject and it could be considered offensive to some people but overall I found The Ringer a funny and cute movie. Johnny Knoxville working with the developmentally disabled kids made for some funny moments and you just can't help but feel content by the way he treats these people. I'm sure its not that easy to taint the special Olympics but the movie didn't have the stupidest plot in the world and I was really shocked by how much I really enjoyed it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
DawdlingPoetNov 28, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Given the storyline, this is obviously not for the easily offended and when I originally heard of this, knowing Johnny Knoxville plays the main character I was put off, thinking it'd be quite controversial and he may play it in a very exaggerated way that could be quite tacky and I wouldn't particularly feel comfortable with. Having said that, I seem to be more keen on such movies/shows nowadays, so I obviously gave it a go and I have to say, its actually got more heart to it and is somewhat less mocking than I'd feared. It shows the other contestants in the 'special olympics' to be quite kind hearted and have something of a sense of humour themselves, ganging up on 'Jeffy' as the new guy and showing their intelligence in as much as they pick up on the fact that he's different to them.

There's certainly a sentimentality to it, which makes you feel for those portrayed as genuine 'special needs' people or contestants. As the movie continues, we see Steve become somewhat selfish, you could say, having his sites set on a member of staff but his situation, or predicament, shows himself up in a way thats quite satisfying to watch. In a way its quite formulaic in that there's the token love interest, the sometimes over-use of dramatic instrumental/motivational music during training scenes and everything. However, I liked the plot twists and there is definitely a nice sort of almost heartwarming side to it, although to some it may seem a bit saccarine sweet but I thought its not quite as patronising or offensive as it had the potential to be, which is slightly surprising given its an American movie and attitudes regarding people with special needs there can be, how can I say? somewhat different to ours. Ultimately, I'd say this is what they'd call the tale of a real underdog, on different levels (its hard to explain quite why without giving away spoilers), something that again Americans seem particularly keen on - fair play to them, I suppose.

Pace wise its quite good, it isn't too dull, doesn't lag especially in the start, middle or end which is always a positive and thus it certainly doesn't over run, at only a little over an hour and a half long. I especially liked how the different characters were portrayed, making them seem clearly more than their obvious physical and mental flaws, thats the main thing and its nice that the staff seem so enthusiastic, even if, or though, I felt that perhaps one or two aspects of the plot were somewhat unrealistic. Its pretty easy to watch, the storyline isn't complicated at all and its certainly a movie you can switch your brain off to watch. As far as humour/comedy is concerned, its usually of the slapstick, visual variety, pretty basic stuff, although some of the dialogue in the script is somewhat amusing as well.

Its very cheesy, rather formulaic and a little daft but not half as tasteless as it potentially could have been, some won't like it but others may be pleasantly surprised. As I say, it has a pretty decent mix of light hearted moments and more thought provoking, challenging scenes likely to, or presumably put in to make you consider your viewpoints.

It does seem slightly preachy in tone, given the way the plot develops, with hangups shown from the non-special needs people towards the contestants, making you question how different such people ultimately are, from more regular 'able bodied' or non mentally challenged folk (whatever the correct term is). It is perhaps a bit of a strange mix to have scenes of daft slapstick comedy, alongside the rather 'meaty' moral questions it may make you ponder but if thats what it takes to get people to think about it, well maybe its a good thing. It is quite Americanised I suppose you could say, I'm not sure I'd say its especially patronising, it certainly is a bit, although perhaps cheesy is a more accurate term really but I pretty much expected that and I'd much rather it be cheesy than downright mocking and out for some cheap laughs.

As I say this isn't for everyone. It is quite cheesy and those who analyse plots will likely think some aspects aren't very believable or realistic but I found it to be pretty entertaining overall, a quite easy watch - one with a mix of some amusing moments, a good amount of character or 'life' given to the characters (if you know what I mean) and so on. To sum up, it could probably be better but could certainly be worse, so overall I'm going for an average, 5 out of 10 rating and leaving it up to yourself to decide whether to give this a watch or not.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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