DUMB AND DUMBER TO (B-)

Bottom Line: Can we all just agree to no longer trust critics (nay, any human) who didn’t find some level of enjoyment in the original Dumb and Dumber? That movie and all of its wackadoodle, go-for-broke, pre-teen absurdities thwacked audiences across the face (twenty years ago) with a snot-covered, flaming rubber chicken of fun. It’s simultaneously over-the-top and in-the-gutter sensibilities, I’m sure, caused many a moviegoer – the dead inside, un-fun ones – to collectively protest that the movie was indeed dumb. Right, because that’s actually in the title twice…so who’s the dumberer one now?! Carrey and Daniels are back and, character-wise, they haven’t missed a beat as they bounce off each other and their surroundings with endearingly demented dipshit abandon. They’re, once again, gloriously goofy and gut-bustingly grand…most of the time. There are, unfortunately, a few potholes along this road trip of raunch. It could have benefitted from a shorter running time – made the jokes come faster, make the movie feel tighter. There’s a flatness to some of it that’s borne of rusty direction and B-level actor’s clearly not knowing how to keep up with The Dumber Boys. The element of surprise is no longer there, as well – we’re expecting them to top each gag now and while this element of surprise played beautifully to the strength of the original it’s of little use here. We fold our arms, sit back in our chair and demand this film take us to the brink of pants wetting. Thing is that they often do top each gag in the sequel and the movie only really slows down when they try to recreate a gag from part one or introduce one of the flimsily motivated new characters (all of whom are out of their element here, save unspoilerish turns from Turner and Melvin). The simplicity of the recycled story exists only to set these maroons on the road and get them from point A to B by going through points D, M and U first. If you enjoyed the first you'll find some enjoyment here as well.  Do I love it?  No.  But I do like it...I like it a lot.


Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Rachel Melvin and Kathleen Turner
Directed by: Bobby and Peter Farrelly (DUMB AND DUMBER, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, STUCK ON YOU and KINGPIN)
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 109 minutes
Studio description: Twenty years after the dimwits set out on their first adventure, they head out in search of one of their long lost children in the hope of gaining a new kidney.
Official site: www.twitter.com/DumbTo