Review of Dumb and Dumber To (2014) by Dan H — 14 Mar 2017

I was genuinely looking forward to seeing this and I really wanted to like it. Alas, The film is bogged down by constant crass, offensive, juvenile humor that is neither funny nor clever. It almost seems aimed squarely at young teens and pre-teens. I found I was laughing more at the little moments than I was at the big moments. The plot is also pretty scatter shot, throwing in new elements meant to remind us of the first film (this strategy almost works at times), however this sequel never really goes anywhere.

There are some funny scenes and good parts, but they don't happen nearly enough (and when they do it feels almost if by accident). Carrey and Daniels do have good chemistry at times that shines through in some scenes. Watching this film, it's easy to forget that Jim Carrey was once the funniest man of the planet. In this movie, he mugs his butt off and it honestly doesn't work, though there are a few scenes where we see a glimmer of his old comedic genius. Daniels doesn't fare much better.

I won't blame the actors as they're being directed by two morons and are saddled with a very weak script. The Farrelly Bros have shown that they can restrain themselves (3 Stooges anyone?), but here they go hog-wild and that's one of the reasons this film doesn't really work. Harry and Lloyd don't feel like the two guys we met in the first film. They are portrayed here as two mentally handicapped adults who shouldn't be allowed in public under any circumstances. It's almost as if their maturity regressed and they got dumber, meaner and more offensive(For example: There is one scene where Harry and Lloyd are attending a conference, and when a hot lady walks onto the stage both yell out in unison "SHOW US YOUR TITS!!!", and then Harry adds "Yeah, both of them!") the older they became. In fact, it's almost hard to buy them as friends because they are so incredibly mean-spirited to each other at times (like a game Lloyd creates where he throws his friend into a bush).

Ultimately, the best parts of this film are Kathleen Turner, Rob Riggle, and Rachel Melvin (who is adorable), all of whom aren't in the film nearly enough. In the end, I'll say this is at least worth one viewing for the few funny moments hidden within. This is one sequel that should have been so much better. It's not Stuck On You, but it is close.