Dumb and Dumber To – Movie Review

Dumb and Dumber To – PG-13
Release Date: Fri 14 Nov 2014

Dumb and Dumber To brings the characters from the original back. Since 1995’s Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Jim Carrey has never reprised a role in a movie sequel until now. It’s great to see him back in pure form, hearkening back to the days of the mid-90’s style of comedies. This is also when the Farrelly brothers were at the top of their game, with movies like There’s Something About Mary and Kingpin.

More recent Farrelly movies have been less adored. In part, this is because the formula of pushing past the levels of expectation for crude humor was more of a novel concept. Their adaptation of The Three Stooges actually did an admirable job of making those characters work in a new time period without going for the most awkward or gross joke. Watching Dumb and Dumber To was a unique experience in comparison. Here are characters that were created by these actors, writers and directors, back after a twenty year hiatus.

What works in Dumb and Dumber are the characters. Jeff Daniels’ Lloyd is still an affable dope, and Jim Carrey’s Lloyd is that friend you had in grade school that was always a jerk, but in Lloyd’s case he never grew out of that phase. The writing is hit or miss, but I did feel that there were some elements they consciously brought back while others were thankfully cut. It would have been lazy to have another scene of a character in a state of extreme bowel distress, but we didn’t go there.

Instead the plot plays with the idea that Lloyd may be inadvertently trying to sleep with a daughter he doesn’t know about. I won’t spoil the twists and turns, but the balance seems about right. Simply put, if you were a fan of the first movie this is a nice return to the characters you know and love. If you’re not a fan of the original or the Farrelly brothers’ brand of comedy, this won’t convert you.

Aaron and I saw it in the theater and had a discussion afterward in the car: