Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
In 1994, idiotic Duo Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) hit the road in Dumb and Dumber. And now 20 years later, the Two are reunited and back on the road to find a Daughter Harry never knew he had.
If you were a big fan of Dumb and Dumber, rest assured, you will find a lot to like in Dumb and Dumber To. Bobby and Peter Farrelly have completely ignored the short-lived animated series and the unwatchable Prequel Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, and have delivered a nostalgic and lovingly made follow-up to their 90s Classic. While the Film may come off in its structure as a near beat-for-beat Remake of the Original, it does an admirable job delving deeper into Lloyd and Harry’s pasts, as well as their friendship. It reeks of Fan Service, but I would be lying if I did not say I enjoyed the large number of references, in-jokes and cameos from original Cast Members – not to mention all the other non-Jennifer Lawrence cameos.
For all the fun The Farrellys are having making the Film, I feel like it may have come at least 15 years too late. Their juvenile humour was relevant and hilarious years ago, but it is only tolerable in smaller doses now. For every half dozen hilarious jokes, we get another half dozen genuinely unfunny and borderline embarrassing racist, sexist and just plain gross jokes. One stand-out scene involves Lloyd “servicing” an elderly Woman (the joke and punchline are both in the Trailer). It seemed weird then, but in the actual film, it comes off awkward, silly, and dare I say, even out-of-character.
But the bad jokes are saved hands down by the enthusiasm and commitment Carrey and Daniels have to their beloved Characters. They may look significantly older, but they are both in tune with Lloyd and Harry’s every word and step. They breathe life into these oft-forgotten Characters and jump back in near effortlessly. I cannot recall the last time either of them put in performances this deranged, but the long-time between Films seems to have done them extremely well. Supporting turns from The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden, the legendary Kathleen Turner, and relative- unknown Rachel Melvin are all very funny and help compliment the zany antics of the two Leads.
It took just under 20 Â years, but Lloyd and Harry are reunited at last. Dumb and Dumber To may be dumb, silly and a shred too long, but it is a nostalgic road trip that Fans of the original Film will be overjoyed to see. It is far from perfect, but there are more than enough downright hysterical moments that make up for how bad the Film becomes all too often. Carrey and Daniels commit to their classic Roles with such an infectious energy and genuine enthusiasm that it makes you wonder why we had to wait this long to see a Sequel. Hopefully the next one comes a lot sooner.
Universal Pictures Canada release DUMB AND DUMBER TO on Friday, November 14, 2014.
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