Dumb and Dumber To

[Reaganfan]

I just saw this film this week.

Any fans of the original? I know Keystone Phil saw it and thought it was "horrific", I didn't think it lived up to the first one but going in with low expectations it turned out to be funnier than most comedy films these days.

Anybody else see it yet?

[Reaganfan]

To what?

EPIC FAIL.

Indeed.

It's been out for a few days and already has made $50 million.

[Reaganfan]

Here's my personal review, just highlight to see it:

SPOILERS IN YELLOW:

I am an enormous fan of the first film. When people ask me my favorite comedy film, this one instantly comes to mind. I remember the trailer looked cool and my older sister ordered it off Pay-Per-View in the Summer of 1995. Ever since then, I've seen it too many times to count and it's instantly quotable.

Needless to say, with Hollywood putting out nothing except Stepbrothers/Neighbors-type teenage gross-out humor comedies and constant superhero films and the like...it is a nice breath of nostalgic air to have Harry and Lloyd back on the big screen. Nevertheless, I went in with very low expectations and found myself reasonably satisfied.

The one big thing that bothered me was the "feel" of the comedy. In the first film, there were no doubt some off-the-wall gross-out scenes. But at the same time, it was a very serious thriller with two dimwitted guys who were down on their luck and oblivious to the fact kidnappers wanted them killed. In this film, it felt too much like a Stepbrothers/Anchorman-type of movie (both movies which were funny but in a different way than Dumb and Dumber).

For example, in the first film when the bad guy shoots Jeff Daniel's character, it's treated seriously. The music becomes menacing and Jim Carrey breaks down in tears and says, "You just killed my best friend, you BASTARD!" In this film, when Jeff Daniel's character gets shot (again), Jim Carrey makes a joke about bactine and band aids or something like that. As unbelievable as Dumb and Dumber is...the first film is believable. It is believable to have Lloyd, a dimwit, mistake a ransom briefcase for a girl forgetting her luggage. In this movie, it is not believable to show Harry and Lloyd glowing green after bathing near a nuclear power plant. Now, if they had just showed them bathing and saying, "This water seems a bit dirty", then showed a view of the power plant...THAT is the funny humor of the first film.

Also, this film makes it out to be that they don't know what sex is, when it is made quite clear in the first one that neither guy is a virgin.

Another thing that is missing is a good soundtrack. The songs of the first film became hits among the fans of the film. Only two times in this film do you hear the original score, and I think adding that score into the background of the film would have made it "feel" more like the first.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the film. If it keeps making the money it's making, maybe they can make another sequel and have a trilogy that redeems the love of the first.