areatw As a comedy movie, 'The Ringer' is fairly average. It has a few good laughs, some funny characters and an entertaining plot, but nothing that hasn't already been done before. It's the sort of film you stick on when you need to pass a couple of hours, a film that you can follow without paying any real attention.'The Ringer' won't be for everyone though, Johnny Knoxville's acting as a handicapped person does come across a bit awkward at times, though I guess such a role can't be easy to play. Overall, this is a decent comedy with some likable characters. An easy-to-follow, entertaining story with a few decent laughs.

Python Hyena The Ringer (2005): Dir: Barry W. Blaustein / Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Brian Cox, Katherine Heigl, Jed Rees, Edward Barbanell: Stupid and drab would be the most appropriate words to describe this so-called comedy about wits. Johnny Knoxville is talked into rigging the Special Olympics. Not a bad start but screenplay veers into predictable formula until it arrives at a conclusion where one must wonder whether the six year champion should have remained as so. Directed by Barry W. Blaustein who previously made an excellent wrestling documentary called Beyond the Mat. As a followup, The Ringer just looks and feels cheap. Knoxville is hardly sympathetic and this role seems hardly a stretch for him. Does he right things and end up with the girl? Do pigs fly? Are we really suppose to care about this pathetic charade? Brian Cox could have used more scenes as the scheming uncle who talks Knoxville into this scam. Katherine Heigl is the desire of Knoxville's heart and she has my sympathy. She gets to be fooled by him while he sabotages her current bad relationship. No worries though. She gets mad then as predictable stories go, she hooks up with him. This film is a pathetic vile piece of trash. Rather than addressing mentally challenged individuals the film becomes more mentally challenging than anything they do in the Olympics. Score: 2 / 10

ptusler1 I reluctantly started watching this on TV, assuming it was going to be a really stupid, low-brow, exploitive and unfunny movie. The first part of the movie does nothing to change that impression. But as it evolves into the Special Olympics, it becomes apparent that some of the actors have Down's syndrome. It also appears that some of the others may also be "Special." The movie takes a turn from the silly and stupid, to being a humorous but respectful treatment of the participants in the Special Olympics. The humor is not particularly heavy-handed, even if it isn't particularly intellectual, but the subject matter is very well handled, and the movie is uplifting, if a little predictable and maudlin. I'd still recommend it, if only for the joy of seeing the actors succeed in creating a movie that must have made participating in the Special Olympics seem a walk in the park. Congratulations to everyone who had anything to do with producing or acting in this. I only regret that I didn't see this in the theater, so that I could support those that created it.

dokkelly-120-943270 Okay firstly I'd like to say this.The movie is not making fun of mentally disabled people at all,it is actually the opposite.It is showing In a lot of sences how we should'nt prejudge mentally disabled people.At the start it does seem that it's making fun of them,since the main character was trying to act like one but instead just acted like a complete idiot.but over a while he learns that there is a lot more to them.So that just cleans everything up in a nutshell.Now as for the movie,it is in a way a bit cliché.but then again nearly all sports movies are like that.But what I really was not expecting is that ending,I'm not gonna dare spoil it for you.As for the comedy,well it is preatty good at points,like the church scene,that was awesome and maybe the scene where they try to train Johny in weird ways.If thats not a homage to Jackass I don't know what is.It is also really nice at times too.Like how Johny bonded with the contestants over the lenght of the movie.So basically give this movie a go,you may be pleasantly surprised how truly under-rated it is