On the surface, the storyline for this Farrelly Brothers-produced comedy appears to be, at best, distasteful: Working stiff Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) and his sleazy con of an uncle, Gary (Brian Cox), conspire to win money fixing the Special Olympics by having Steve, a former track star, pose as a mentally challenged athlete.
Ah, but director Barry W. Blaustein and his notoriously naughty producer pals have wisely gone to great lengths to treat the disabled with respect and dignity, earning a stamp of approval from Special Olympics representatives who’ve claimed the movie represents “an incredible opportunity to change attitudes.” For that, the filmmakers are to be commended. Too bad “The Ringer” does nothing to change negative attitudes about Johnny Knoxville’s dubious acting skills. Thanks to his former MTV show “Jackass” Knoxville can certainly weather a kick to the nuts as well as any star in Hollywood, but that skill in itself — while showcased in “The Ringer” — is not going to win him any Oscars or redeem an unfunny comedy. (RATED PG-13. RUNNING TIME: 94 MINUTES)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 23, 2005. Read the original PDF.