History Main / BowledOver

* In the Yolkian Planet sequence in the ''Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast'' ride, Ooblar accidentally rams into a group of Yolkians set up like pins, resulting in this, complete with the sound effect as well as Ooblar yelling "STRIKE!".

* Described, but not seen, in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry''; during one battle, DK [[BeTheBall scrunched King K. Rool into a ball]] and used his to bowl Klump and Krusha over. When we cut to King K. Rool's lair, we see the king wearing an arm cast.

* ''WesternAhimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E4DestroyMalevolence "Destroy Malevolence"]], Obi-Wan takes out several battle droids in a very short period of time by Force-pushing two droidekas into groups of other droids. After he escapes, one droid is impressed, causing [[GeneralRipper General Grievous]] to smack its head off.

* There was [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals an Officer Jenny]] in the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' episode "Stealing The Conversation" who carried around a bowling ball and used it on criminals like this.

* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' does this with half of a wooden dumbbell on the second-to-last page of ''Tintin in America'', complete with bubble showing imaginary bowling pins knocked over.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsLegendOfEverfree'': When Rainbow Dash is tripped by Gaea Everfree and propelled against her friends by her momentum, sending them all sprawling, the sound effect heard is one of a bowling ball hitting pins.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* During the climatic Battle of the Goblin City in ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', a group of goblins stand up to one of the boulders summoned by Ludo, and are knocked down like bowling pins. They imminently retreat.

* Harry knocks one vampire into an audience full of them during a duel in ''Literature/WhiteNight'', and lampshades the resulting mass knockdown as "Bowling for Vampires!".

* In the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' episode "You Better Shop Around (Part 2)," Al ensures his family wins the ''Series/SupermarketSweep''-like challenge with the D'arcys by tripping up Jefferson and Marcy with a bowled turkey. Complete with "Steeeeeeee-rike!"

[[folder:Theater]]

* At one point in the D23 Tokyo 2018 trailer for ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', Sora grabs Mike Wazowski and rolls him like a bowling ball at a group of Heartless, complete with a strike sound effect and said Heartless lined up in ten-pin formation.
* The MassiveMultiplayerCrossover ''VideoGame/PlaystationMoveHeroes'' has "Bowling" as one of the five weapons classes, joining the Frisbee of Death as [[ImprobableWeaponUser Improbable Weapons]].
* Both ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' feature {{Mooks}} shaped like bowling pins for you to run over with {{Rolling Attack}}s.

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 3'' has an area where ten enemies are lined up like bowling pins and marching forward. Players who see this for what it is and run into them as a morph ball are rewarded with an achievement.

* The ''WesternAnimation/OswaldTheLuckyRabbit'' cartoon "Oh, What a Knight" featured Oswald bowling over the Big Bad and his knights.
* The ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Bowl-R-Ama Drama" has P&F try to set a record for the world's biggest bowling ball. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenschmirtz's minions are giant robotic penguins, suspiciously shaped like bowling pins, attacking the town in a triangular formation. The ball gets away from them, and... well, you can guess what happens next.

* ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} does it to some of Abu Hassan's mooks in ''WesternAnimation/PopeyeTheSailorMeetsAliBabasFortyThieves''.
-->"How does that ''strike'' ya?"

* It happens in ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'' to a group of cartoon penguins who enjoy being knocked down.
* In ''Disney/TheLionKing'', we first see Timon and Pumbaa playing "bowling for buzzards".

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'':
** In the BatmanColdOpen of one episode, the Sport Master traps a championship bowling team in giant pins and rolls an oversized bowling ball at them. Batman saves the day by breaking the ball, with his fists.
** During the climax of "Legends of the Dark Mite!" Batman rides one of the [[ItMakesSenseInContext Tweedle brothers and sends Joker, Catwoman, Riddler and Two Face flying.]]

* Described, but not seen, in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry''; during one battle, DK [[BeTheBall scrunched King K. Rool into a ball]] and used his to bowl Klump and Krusha over. When we cut to King K. Rool's lair, we see the king wearing an arm cast.
-->'''King K. Rool:''' That last defeat by Donkey Kong was not only damaging, but humiliating! When was the last time either of you were used as a bowling ball!?
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E7Dragonshy Dragonshy]]", this happens to Rainbow Dash when a dragon's roar propels her out of a cave and she knocks over Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E1SchoolDazePart1 School Daze – Part 1]]": Gallus, while carrying Sandbar, accidentally drops him, causing the young earth pony to crash into the world leaders, knocking them over like bowling pins.
* ''WesternAnimation/ShaunTheSheep:'' The rotund Shirley bowls over the rest of the flock in "Shirley Whirley."

* One of the stages of the Japanese game show ''Series/TakeshisCastle'' involved the contestants picking cards dressing them up in bowling pins and having a guard roll a giant ball at them.

* There was [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals an Officer Jenny]] in the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' episode "I'm Bowling For Thieves" who carried around a bowling ball and used it on criminals like this.

Oh-- and the bowler will ALWAYS get a strike, never mind how difficult that is in normal bowling.

[[AC:{{Anime}}]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:Film]]
* In ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'', after Neo breaks out of the DogPileOfDoom, he performs a [[HoistHeroOverHead hoisting of a Smith over his head]] before hurling it at a group of approaching Smiths, complete with the sound of bowling pins as they are knocked down.

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]
* A ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' SundayStrip has Lucy making a very large snowball the size of a bowling ball. Many other characters taunt her for this and walk off. Lucy proceeds to roll the ball down the sidewalk, scattering everybody (except Charlie Brown) like proverbial tenpins. Lucy has another ball in reserve, and the final panel shows Charlie Brown getting bowled over, commenting about "picking up the spare".

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

[[AC:ThemeParks]]
* In the Yolkian Planet sequence in the ''[[Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast]]'' ride, Ooblar accidentally rams into a group of Yolkians set up like pins, resulting in this, complete with the sound effect as well as Ooblar yelling "STRIKE!".

[[AC:VideoGames]]

->'''Viridi:''' [[LampshadeHanging Hey, look!]] It's a giant bowling ball and some ugly bowling pins!
->'''Hades:''' [[BadBoss My troops are a worthy sacrifice]] for the sport of kings!

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "Dragonshy", this happens to Rainbow Dash when a dragon's roar propels her out of a cave and she knocks over Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

* ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} does it to the ''WesternAnimation/PopeyeTheSailorMeetsAliBabasFortyThieves''.
-->"How does that ''[[IncrediblyLamePun strike]]'' ya?"

* ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} does it to the Forty Thieves.

A group of people are standing around, possibly in the same formation as bowling pins, and a large, often spherical object crashes into them and sends them flying. A strike sound effect is optional.

* Happens to the protagonists in ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar''.

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* ''ShaunTheSheep:'' The rotund Shirley bowls over the rest of the flock in "Shirley Whirley."

* There was one episode in ''[[MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure]]'' that [[PlayedForLaughs played this trope for laughs]]. In this episode, the main characters where trying to rescue Hippo, who was [[ItMakesSenseInContext imprisoned at the top of a tower]] where they have to [[RunTheGauntlet get past a couple of their adversaries, who are stationed on one floor each]]. At the second floor, the three heroines confront [[DragonLady Lanhua]], who then splits into [[MesACrowd twelve chibi versions of herself]], ready to play their music. For no reason at all, a bowling ball lands on Hanon's hands. After a brief imaging of the chibis as bowling pins, she rolls the ball, and… you know what happens next.

* In ''TheMatrix Reloaded'', after Neo breaks out of the DogPileOfDoom, he performs a [[HoistHeroOverHead hoisting of a Smith over his head]] before hurling it at a group of approaching Smiths, complete with the sound of bowling pins as they are knocked down.

* Harry knocks one vampire into an audience full of them during a duel in ''[[Literature/TheDresdenFiles White Night]]'', and Lampshades the resulting mass knockdown as "Bowling for Vampires!".

* In ''[[ReunionShow Rescue from]] GilligansIsland'', the Skipper and Gilligan rescue Mary Ann from a wedding that neither she nor the groom wants to go through with by [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidiQoccneA#t=82m18s scooping her up]] in a wagon full of watermelons just before they get to the "I Do"s. A bunch of people run after them, and they [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidiQoccneA#t=84m18s throw the watermelons at the chasers]] to make them stop. Comes complete with bowling SFX and Gilligan {{Lampshading}} "Hey Skipper, I got a strike!" (Apologies for the ads.)
* In ''MyNameIsEarl'', Earl is [[ItMakesSenseInContext trying to convince a policeman that he should be a bowler]]. He shows the officer the list of misdeeds he is trying to fix, but the policeman immediately arrests Earl as it's more or less an evidence of his numerous crimes. Earl tries to run away, and the officer knocks him down, but lets him go afterward, because he did that with a bowling ball, thus proving Earl's point.
* One of the stages of the Japanese game show ''TakeshisCastle'' involved the contestants picking cards dressing them up in bowling pins and having a guard roll a giant ball at them.

* A ''{{Peanuts}}'' SundayStrip has Lucy making a very large snowball the size of a bowling ball. Many other characters taunt her for this and walk off. Lucy proceeds to roll the ball down the sidewalk, scattering everybody (except Charlie Brown) like proverbial tenpins. Lucy has another ball in reserve, and the final panel shows Charlie Brown getting bowled over, commenting about "picking up the spare".

* ''MetroidPrime 3'' has an area where ten enemies are lined up like bowling pins and marching forward. Players who see this for what it is and run into them as a morph ball are rewarded with an achievement.

* Happens to the protagonists in ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar''.
* The ''OswaldTheLuckyRabbit'' cartoon "Oh, What a Knight" featured Oswald bowling over the Big Bad and his knights.
* The ''PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Bowl-R-Ama Drama" has P&F try to set a record for the world's biggest bowling ball. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenschmirtz's minions are giant robotic penguins, suspiciously shaped like bowling pins, attacking the town in a triangular formation. The ball gets away from them, and... well, you can guess what happens next.
* A CouchGag in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' had IndianaJones running from that boulder, which then hits a bunch of Nazis who just happen to be there, and, well, you know...
* {{Popeye}} does it to the Forty Thieves.
* DonaldDuck does it to his own nephews in "Donald's Snow Fight".
* It happens in ''ChalkZone'' to a group of cartoon penguins who enjoy being knocked down.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': In the BatmanColdOpen of one episode, the Sport Master traps a championship bowling team in giant pins and rolls an oversized bowling ball at them. Batman saves the day by breaking the ball, with his fists.

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* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePony'': In "Dragonshy", this happens to Rainbow Dash when a dragon's roar propels her out of a cave and she knocks over Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

[[AC:ThemeParks]]
* In the Yolkian Planet sequence in the ''[[Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast]]'' ride, Ooblar accidentally rams into a group of Yolkians set up like pins, resulting in this, complete with the sound effect as well as Ooblar yelling "STRIKE!".

* ''{{Pac-Man}}'' did a variation early in the episode "Around the World in 80 Chomps". The Ghost Monsters were arranged like bowling pins, and Pac-Man approached them like a bowling ball. Instead of knocking the ghosts down, he chomped them in his usual manner.
* In the ''RockosModernLife'' episode "Schnit-Heads", a [[{{Cult}} religious cult based on sausage]] wants to go "bowling for sinners" with our heroes.

* In the Yolkian Planet sequence in the [[Ride/JimmyNeutronsNicktoonBlast Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast]] ride, Ooblar accidentally rams into a group of Yolkians set up like pins, resulting in this, complete with the sound effect as well as Ooblar yelling "STRIKE!".

* {{Tintin}} does this with half of a wooden dumbbell on the second-to-last page of ''Tintin in America'', complete with bubble showing imaginary bowling pins knocked over.