Twenty years on from the original, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return as cinemas’ dumbest characters Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne. With returning directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly, be ready for another road trip comedy with the funniest moments of the year.
When going in for this comedy, you need to be aware that this film is far from intellectual. This is not some Oscar-worthy, Shakespearian screenplay that will have you debating the cerebral implications of what it all meant. Instead be ready for shocking deeds, fart jokes and a film that will have you smiling from start to finish.
What some comedies do is give you stupid characters and make them say stupid lines, which provide you with the main source of your comedic entertainment. Lloyd and Harry have some pretty stupid one-liners, of course, but these are simply appetisers for the stand out moments that are scattered throughout the course of this film. They are simply present to fit the characters that Carrey and Daniel portray to incredible success. There are more twists and turns than the first movie, yet, this is not to be mistaken as the film trying to be more than it is, but instead, these moments are some of the funniest in the film. On more than one occasion you will be laughing out loud long after the joke is finished.
Jim Carrey is back at his best. The man that ruled the 90s with his rubber face proves he can still kill it in eccentrically funny roles. His comedic timing is without doubt the best in the business, and, when combined with his excellent timing and level of energy, he delivers a character that is so funny that simply seeing him on screen will make you chuckle.
Not your typical comedic actor, Jeff Daniels is better known for his TV role in The Newsroom as Will McAvoy. However, considering Daniels is not exactly known for his comedic roles, his ability to not just keep up with Carrey, but to also match him, is incredible. The chemistry between these two, as in the first, is outstanding.
Although the shock value of many of the jokes is largely a positive for the movie, it is also a potential negative. Because most of the comedy relies on shock tactics, it stands to reason that Dumb and Dumber To will not be as funny come the second viewing. The surprise would have gone and so the absurdness would also have made a departure. A prime example of this is Harry pulling the catheter out of Lloyd; you see this in the trailer and it’s hilarious, but when you see it in the movie, it’s not as funny.
Unfortunately despite all this film’s strength as a comedy, it does one truly unforgivable act. No, I’m not talking about the scene with the grandmother, but the few scenes that are literally copied and pasted, word for word from the first film. This hints at lazy screen writing that fills time and slows the pace of the movie down. In such a fast-paced film where everything flows, it is a shame that these scenes were included.
A difficult achievement in filmmaking is delivering a sequel that betters the original, especially when that original is such a beloved cult classic. However, the Farrelly brothers manage to deliver a comedy that is just as funny, if not funnier than the original. Just make sure you go in expecting a stupidly silly time, and you will have an incredible amount of fun with this tongue-in-cheek comedy.
6/10
Glenn Tanner
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