The Ringer (12)

The plot of the Ringer is very simple! Jonny Knocksville's character imitates someone with special needs in order to rig the special Olympics and win a bet.

Although from the text above you will probably think he is a complete loser, he is actually a nice guy simply trying to help a friend/employee who lost his fingers in a freak lawn mower accident. With a little help from his wayward Uncle, Jonny's character manages to con his way through the Olympic trials, and he secures himself a place in the competition proper. Now he has to get himself accepted by the other participants and begin training for the competition itself, which turns out to be much harder than he had originally anticipated.

The makers of this film handle themselves quite well! What could have been uncomfortable viewing is actually quite enjoyable, even, dare I say it, a little bit heart warming in places. The premise of the film isn't remotely P.C. but the film does not dwell on the fact that some of the other actors have disabilities, and in the end the real message of the film is about respect.

The Ringer is a silly, easy going Farrelly brothers type film. Although not hilarious, it does have its moments; and while far from a masterpiece, I can think of plenty of worse ways to spend a couple of hours. If I had to choose two words to sum it up I would go for - Enjoyable fluff.