The Ringer

[Listener]

There are some lines that should not be crossed, and the asinine new film "The Ringer" crosses one of them.

I can't believe this shit gets greenlit.  Do they have classroom of 12-year-old boys running studios these days?

[Alice]

How do you know it crosses a line?

[Listener]

How do you know it crosses a line?

Well, okay, I admit that on here we all cross the lines of good taste, but we're a private group doing what we want in the confines of our own meetingplace.

But a movie about a guy who joins the special olympics and pretends to be retarded just to win a medal?  That's just wrong.

[Gamplayerx]

The reviews I've heard are actually pretty complimentary.

[Listener]

The reviews I've heard are actually pretty complimentary.

That scares me.

Everyone has something that, for them, is "This Far, No Further."

This is mine.

*shrug*

[Alice]

But if you haven't seen it, you don't know that it's the main point of the movie.  It could be a movie that in the end makes more people more understanding towards the mentally handicapped.  There may be some point that the writers/producers/actors are trying to make.

[Listener]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/13361152.htm

You can dress it up any way you like, but... *sigh*... I don't care if the Special Olympics were in on it, or that the director/writer volunteers to help out, or any of that stuff.  The premise itself is so ridiculous.

But if you haven't seen it, you don't know that it's the main point of the movie.  It could be a movie that in the end makes more people more understanding towards the mentally handicapped.  There may be some point that the writers/producers/actors are trying to make.

That's basically what that review says. 

Given the "Jackass" audience, though -- Johnny Knoxville IS the star -- I think the main group of viewers will be 9-14 year old boys who completely miss the message.

[Beefy]

We'll see.