THE PLOT THUS FAR
A young guy’s only option to erase a really bad debt is to rig the Special Olympics by posing as a contestant.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“The Ringer” was perceived as lifting a ton of other ideas from other comedies. Hell, there was a brief moment in time where playing the Special Olympics for chumps was pretty funny. However, we got to meet the talented Edward Barbanell. I wish more films would use actors with Down’s Syndrome instead of giving work to actors who just appear to have Down’s Syndrome. The plot is basic and it feels like the comedy could’ve been done a million times before. However, you learn to believe the camaraderie between Knoxville and his blended mentally retarded cast. Some are disabled, while others are currently married to Christina Hendricks. There is no justice in the world.
Johnny Knoxville is such a capable lead, that I wish he got more work. Whether it’s making Heigl look like she has redeeming human qualities or playing off Brian Cox, Knoxville knows how to work the camera. You feel his emotional journey and you buy that he’s a schlub. Too often we get leading men in American cinema that play as a cross between ineffectual wimps or single chromosome brutes. I like that there is a middle ground that doesn’t start producing arrested development style comedy. If you haven’t managed to catch the film already, I’d recommend catching up with this overlooked jewel.
The Blu-Ray comes with sixteen deleted scenes, featurette and a commentary as the special features. The A/V Quality is far better than the DVD. The 1080p transfer loses that dull sheen that used to plague the old standard definition disc. If that wasn’t enough, the DTS-HD 5.1 track offers a better surround stage. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!