Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
*** (out of 4)
Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) decide to take a road trip when a medical condition has Harry trying to track down the daughter he never knew he had. Along the way the two get caught up in a murder plot and well as countless misadventures.
DUMB AND DUMBER TO was a film fans wanted since they walked out of the original movie twenty-years ago. Considering how long it took to arrive, I must admit that my expectations were rather low. There's no question that this film isn't nearly as good as the original but with that said, it kept me smiling throughout and it did feature some very big laughs. Again, I understand how some fans are upset at this thing because there are certainly some flaws but at the same time there were just way too many funny moments not to enjoy it.
Of course, one of the biggest highlights was just seeing Carrey and Daniels back in the roles that they made so memorable. For the most part I thought both slipped back into them quite well, although there's no doubt that Carrey seems more "in character" as Lloyd. The two certainly have some great chemistry together and after two decades they're still able to work well off of one another. Rob Riggle is also very funny in his supporting role as is Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner and a couple nice cameos.
While watching the film there's certainly a very uneven feel to it. This was pretty much explained during the closing credit when I saw six writers listed. It seems that there really wasn't a good story to carry these guys through and it really did feel at times like they were just throwing anything on the screen just hoping that people would laugh. This uneven flow is what kept it from being as good and as fresh as the original but there's just no denying the countless laughs that do work. There were times when tears were running down my face but others where I couldn't believe they'd even attempt the joke that fell so flat (the AIDS one). Still, DUMB AND DUMBER TO has me hoping that Lloyd and Harry revisit us in another two decades.
