Kingpin

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1:19

Kingpin

PG-13

1996

1h 53m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) is a young bowler with a promising career ahead of him until a disreputable colleague, Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray), tricks him into participating in a con game that ends with Roy's bowling hand crippled for life. Years later, Roy ekes out a hardscrabble existence until he discovers Amish bowling phenom Ishmael (Randy Quaid). With the help of a gangser's girlfriend (Vanessa Angel), he plots to take Ishmael to the top of the bowling world.

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Critics Consensus

Kingpin has its moments, but they're often offset by an eagerness to descend into vulgar mean-spiritedness.

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Clayton Dillard

Slant Magazine

The Farrellys’ style of comedy is at its best when it gives space to the comedic performers to meld their comedic sensibilities with the filmmakers’ own.

Jun 4, 2025

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

This bad-taste comedy about bowling champs, from the dudes who brought you Dumb and Dumber, decides to go scummy and scummier by blatantly ripping off several scenes...

Jun 14, 2022

Full Review

Scott Tobias

The Dissolve

Kingpin makes inspired comedy by channeling the Weber spirit-and the humble reality of the circuit-through the frame of an inspirational sports movie.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 22, 2014

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It's Bill Murray who easily swipes the picture -- he's at his unctuous best as Ernie McCracken, an oily bowler with an ego as enormous as his libido.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 13, 2025

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a pervasively uneven comedy that just isn't able to overcome its various deficiencies...

Rated: 2/4

Nov 18, 2014

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The combination of the overkill factor and a basic mean-spiritedness finally sinks it for me.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 10, 2007

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Z D.

Underrated gem. Classic Farrelly masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/10/25

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Andrew M

This is one of the great comedies of the 90s. I love this movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/08/25

Full Review

alan g

The best Woody Harrelson movie. Vanessa Angel is very good. She was the Sydney Sweeney of her generation. Bill Murray sucks as usual. Brings the whole movie down. Score was great.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/25

Full Review

colin p

An underappreciated classic

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/14/25

Full Review

Peter R

Completely unfunny. The jokes are as predictable as they are puerile. Do yourself a favor and watch literally anything else.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

Full Review

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Robert Farrelly

Director

Peter Farrelly

Director

Woody Harrelson

Roy Munson

Randy Quaid

Ishmael Boorg

Vanessa Angel

Claudia

Bill Murray

Ernie McCracken

Kingpin: Official Clip - A Real Munson

2:09

Kingpin: Official Clip - Working off Rent

1:44

Kingpin: Official Clip - Milking the Bull

2:03

Kingpin: Official Clip - Munson vs. McCracken

2:20

Kingpin: Official Clip - Parking Lot Fight

1:51

Kingpin: Official Clip - The Final Frame

2:13

Kingpin: Official Clip - The Tournament Begins

2:16

Kingpin: Official Clip - Hustling a Priest

2:16

Kingpin: Official Clip - The Tattoo

1:06

Kingpin: Official Clip - Bowling Distractions

2:13

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Kingpin: Trailer 1

1:19

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Synopsis

Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) is a young bowler with a promising career ahead of him until a disreputable colleague, Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray), tricks him into participating in a con game that ends with Roy's bowling hand crippled for life. Years later, Roy ekes out a hardscrabble existence until he discovers Amish bowling phenom Ishmael (Randy Quaid). With the help of a gangser's girlfriend (Vanessa Angel), he plots to take Ishmael to the top of the bowling world.

Director: Robert Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Producer: Steven Stabler, Bradley Thomas, Brad Krevoy
Screenwriter: Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Motion Picture Corporation of America, Rysher Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Crude Sex-Related Humor|A Drug Scene)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 4, 1996, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 26, 1996
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.0M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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