KINGPIN SYNOPSIS:

An amateur state bowling champion whose professional aspirations are prematurely dashed when he gets "Munsoned" hopes to ride a new bowling prodigy to success and riches by becoming his manager.

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The guys who brought you Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Me, Myself & Irene strike again with a gut-busting farce that’s “just too funny” (Los Angeles Times)! Bigtime rollers Woody Harrelson (Semi-Pro), Randy Quaid (Vacation), Chris Elliott (Cabin Boy) and an outrageous Bill Murray (Stripes) come up winners in this riotous, gag-a-second comedy with plenty of balls. Harrelson is Roy Munson, a pro bowler who seems destined for greatness, or as close to greatness as a bowler can get. But after a run-in with angry competitors, Roy finds himself sadder, wiser and minus his bowling hand! Years later, he meets the naive Ishmael (Quaid), an Amish bowling whiz. Together they set out for a million-dollar tournament in Reno, and along the way pick up Claudia (Vanessa Angel, Spies Like Us), a sexy vixen with brains, attitude and really big...ideas. With her help, they make it to the tournament. But will Roy and Ishmael win the big match and score fame and fortune...or will all their hopes and dreams just go barreling down the gutter?

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OUR FILM REVIEW

The Farrelly brothers followed up their comedic juggernaut, Dumb and Dumber with a fascinating comedy about bowling. Woody Harrelson leads the film as young bowler Roy Munson just joining the Pro-bowling circuit that comes crashing to a sudden end when a bet goes wrong and his prominent hand is mangled in a ball return. Rival Ernie McCracken played by Bill Murray is the instigator in this horrible incident and now with Roy out of the way - mounts his way to fame. 

Years later, Roy is in a bad position and with no further options, he accidentally comes across an Amish bowler with potential. That man being Ishmael played by Christmas Vacation standout Randy Quaid. There and then he decided to persuade Ishmael to pursue bowling as a profession and play for a million dollars in Reno. Roy with the interest of scoring some easy dough and Ishmael with the interest in saving his Amish community from foreclosure. 

Along the way others join and leave their escapade to make the big tournament - most importantly Vanessa Angel’s Claudia that uses her sexuality to distract potential bowling threats. Her interest - the money and seeing Ishmael succeed. 

It’s a fine comedy - more of an interesting underdog tale than anything because not all the jokes land (apart from a continuous joke about his rubber hand and the ring - that was funny every time). Apart from the star power (of the time) of Harrelson, Murray, Quaid and Angle, Kingpin is either a film you grew up on, a cult classic you’ve warmed up to or a one time watch that’ll pass for entertainment. 

The 4K scan from the original 35mm negative provides new HDR and Dolby Vision masters, which ultimately means the film has never looked better. Colors are a brighter saturation and Harrelson / Murray’s combovers can be seen in all their glory. Another lift from the previous iterations is most of the traditional grain has now been lifted, providing a much more crystal feel. 

The audio, while upgraded from the previous DVD standard to DTS HD Master Audio, isn't an overwhelming change in quality. For a comedy film and notably a Farrelly brothers film, it’s more about the jokes landing and the soundtrack than anything else. The soundtrack has a number of classics from the late 70s such as Showdown (E.L.O.), I Want Candy (The Springloves) and The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel). The dialogue is crisp and the jokes come off without a hitch, it’ll all just depend if this humor is your kind. 

The biggest disappointment in this Kino Lorber upgrade is the lack of new features, enlisting the same assortment from the previous Blu-ray release plus a new commentary from two entertainment journalists. It’s an unfortunately missed opportunity, but at least the original features are still there in all their glory such as an audio commentary with the Farrelly brothers themselves.

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SPECIAL FEATURES ​

• DISC ONE - 4K UHD

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry​

• DISC TWO - BLU-RAY

  • Audio Commentary by Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly (Extended Cut)

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry (Theatrical Cut)

  • Kingpins - Extra Frames with the Farrelly Brothers: Featurette (19:14)

  • Theatrical Trailer