This film was never going to change people’s lives, nor the world. This is far from a film to bring unity to those warring, and it is certainly not one you want to watch with your mother. However, that is not to say that Dumb And Dumber To is a film to miss. If you take this film for what it is – little plot, lots of pubescent humour – you’re in for a treat.
Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) are back on another mad cap adventure that is frighteningly true to the original, complete with a road trip in search of a dame, while having a bad guy in tow, and being insanely insane along the way. The woman in this instance is Harry’s long lost daughter, who will hopefully donate a kidney to her estranged father. Hilarity ensues.
There are supporting characters here as with any film – the daughter in question, the biological mother who had relations with Harry, the foster father and the bad guys after the foster father’s fortune. But they are all nearly nameless, as this picture is all about Daniels and Carrey in pure comedic form. Slapstick isn’t the word. Daniels is loud and annoying and awful, Carrey is still as rubber faced as you remember.
However, with lines like ‘Sometimes it wasn’t even my own poop’, its tough to wonder why the film couldn’t have more of a plot. But that’s the point. Everything about this picture is meant to be dumb, just see the title. The Farrelly Brothers take this and turn it to gold.
In homage to the first, along with the beats of the film, it ventures into familiar territory and there are some familiar faces, vehicles and brands. Even the sets of the sequel are cheap like the first, not a stone was unturned in making this, and there’s a beauty in that.
Fearing to spoil any jokes, I only suggest to keep an eye out for some hot dogs being eaten, and the all important letter. But it’s all enjoyable and fun, which is all you need in a picture like this.
This film won’t even come close to changing your life, but it will certainly make life a little better. We all need to laugh, but not necessarily at smart humour. Dumb humour done well is not an easy feat, but when it is, there’s little better. Everyone needs a fart joke every now and then.
Chris Droney