This is the set up for the new Bobby and Peter Farrelly production, The Ringer.

Johnny Knoxville plays Steve Barker. When we first see him at his go-nowhere job, we see he is a socially delayed kind of guy. He asks his boss for a job with more responsibility, he is told his first task is to fire Stavi the janitor. His heart of gold comes through and instead of firing him, gives him a job cutting his lawn at a $50 a week raise including health benefits. It's this benefits package that gets him in trouble as Stavi cuts off three of his fingers and the operation to fix them will cost $28,000. Lots of kudos to Knoxville for this part. He has begun to take his MTV Jackass ability to take a punch and turn it into a career where he is taking parts that show he can act (see Walking Tall, Dukes of Hazzard). One of these days he will get a dramatic roll and develop a lot more.

His uncle is played by Brian Cox (Bourne Identity, Troy). It is his idea to take his bookies' appreciation for Jimmy, a 5-time Special Olympics winner and turn it into a plot to get even on his debt by sending his nephew up against him.

The acting is perfectly acceptable, and the movie takes pains to portray the Special Olympics as a very positive organization and the volunteers as very giving people. My guess is that the organization had lots of sign offs during this movie in order to give up use of its name and logo for the film.

The outcome is not high drama. If you pay attention, you can probably figure out who is going to win by watching the graphics on the ESPN-like broadcasts that keep us up to date on what is happening during the Olympics. But that isn't the point. I went into this movie expecting some laughs and got exactly that. Perfect for the teen crowd because along with the humor it has a very positive message that handicapped athletes are athletes first and handicapped people second, and their efforts should be taken seriously. Even with the stupid slapstick, I give a moderate recommendation to this film for all audiences.

Hank Yuloff is our senior film critic in Los Angeles and is not upset at getting turned down for a part as one of the athletes 'cause he could not throw a shot put.