User reviews

Sorry but this is a self-indulgent review but I felt compelled. I saw this movie with my daughter when she was young. Left the theater thinking the movie was so-so, but my daughter liked it. For some reason the event is a memory for me as one of the last movies I went to with her as a "kids" movie. I am writing this more as sharing a few movies in my life have been associated with events rather than the movie itself. I think I have about 5 movies in my life that fall into this category.

In 2021 with the movie industry distribution system, ie going to movie theaters, is in a state of flux and going with your kids to a weekend movie at the theater may disappear. I believe when you go somewhere a memory can be firmer over time. So if taking the kids to the movie theater is going to disappear there's some downside to it. However when our family of 4 goes/went when all is said and done it's close to $80. If my kids were still young I know for this reason alone we would go to the the theater, vs streaming, a lot less.

I loved this movie and enjoyed every second what I didn't like was how much was cut and never put back in for home release it would have been even better with more slapstick like when at the party mainly the scenes used in the trailers but never seen in actual movie it's really sad when they don't care enough to add it back. At least I can rely on the series of shorts left by the G. O. A. T. Moe,Larry and Curly (babe) this is why I am dropping my rating to 5 out of 10 because it just doesn't feel like a complete movie to me. I'm still praying that this will change but seeing how it's 2023 I doubt it'll ever happen.

Moe, Larry and Curly (played by Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso respectively) are dumped as babies at the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage and become such mainstays to the point they work there as not so handy handymen 25 years later. Now with the threat of the Orphanage's closure looming, the three set out to earn in needed funds in typical Three Stooges style.

Beginning development back in 1997 as a vehicle for Phil Hartman as Moe before his unfortunate death, and then going through various stages of development hell having versions that at one point would've featured Sean Penn as Larry, and Jim Carrey as Curly, The Three Stooges journey to the big screen has been tumultuous to put it mildly. When the trailer came out, people's concerns over the quality of a feature length Stooges movie were exacerbated. However with its release the end product may not be strictly "good", but it's not a train wreck either.

The opening 20 Minutes where we see the Stooges' infancy, childhood, and adulthood where they've become useless layabouts who do more harm than good are quite funny and do manage to recapture the feel of the older Stooges shorts. But the movie goes onward from there. While the movie is allegedly "episodic" as its title cards attempt to convey, each episode very much links back to the main goal of the plot that involves saving their orphanage home from destruction. Because The Three Stooges feels the need to anchor itself to a story, it also plays certain scenes involving the Stooges for pathos, which just doesn't feel fitting for The Stooges. The stretched material becomes all too apparent in the second half as not only do we see reliance on lowbrow gags like the stooges firing baby urine at each other, it also has shoehorned in pop culture gags involving smartphones, social media, and even Jersey Shore (which admittedly got a few chuckles from me seeing the Stooges annoy the cast of Jersey Shore). It's a shame the movie as a whole doesn't work because the titular Stooges are pitch perfect casting wise. The slapstick choreography is always on point, and the voices are near dead ringers for the originals. The movie can't really warrant a recommendation, but when compared against the likes of Car 54, Where Are You? or Duddley Do Right this is probably the best we could've hoped for regarding a feature length version of Three Stooges antics.

Three Stooges manages to capture some of the charm of the original shorts, but even at a brisk 85 minute run time the material is way too stretched to justify itself. While the film for most part captures the slapstick shenanigans of the trio quite well, the movie keeps piling on excuses to extend itself involving subplots or lowbrow gags that make the film tiresome. It's not an outright failure, but it doesn't justify a viewing either.

By the time this film came out, I had not watched an original Three Stooges short in about 18 years. I did not remember the original Stooges being overly hilarious or ingenious and was not sure a PG-rated update would rewrite my recollections.

But THE THREE STOOGES proved to be an amusing-enough ride. And we have the performances of the new Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), the new Larry (Sean Hayes) and the new Curly (Will Sasso) to thank for that. With obvious affection for the original actors, and some obvious voice training, the new trio illustrate the subtle genius of the Stooges' shtick. For some reason, if done just the right way, whacking a guy in the head with a sledgehammer can still be chuckle-inducing in 2013.

Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly borrowed a page from THE BRADY BRUNCH MOVIE by injecting the Stooges into contemporary times. The approach works particularly well here since even the original Stooges never quite grasped the realities of the world of the 1930s, '40s and '50s that they encountered. The Stooges here are charmingly "pure of heart, dim of wit," to quote the new Larry.

Just like the original Stooges shorts, THE THREE STOOGES is cohesively imperfect. One scene, involving peeing babies, attempts a gentle form of gross-out humor that feels just plain awkward. The Stooges' famous shtick -- the nose pinching, head bopping, toe crunching and hair yanking -- is at times gut-busting but wears a little thin as the hour-mark of this brief film approaches.

If you hated the original Stooges, you will hate this movie. If you sort of liked them, you will sort of like this movie. If you loved them, you will find this to be a touching monument to those pioneers of comedy. Supposedly there will be a sequel, so we probably haven't seen the last of these guys just yet.

So, Hollywood's done just about everything at this point. It's remade, reinvented, revamped, and recreated old Hollywood hits as well as old classics of the television screen and stage. But, shockingly, this is the first time since the beloved Curly, Larry, and Moe faded into showbiz lore years ago that their side-splitting shorts have been adapted into a full-length film. What makes the film even more interesting is that the stooges now live in the present day. The problem is that the three stooges were one of a kind. Many of us can do your typical stooges impressions, but no one on this planet can capture the humor of simple slapstick comedy the way the stooges did. Here,our three lead actors put forth a wonderful effort to do so, but I almost felt wrong for watching them try. Duplicating the stooges just cannot be done, which is a big part of why this movie did not really do it for me.

Putting the stooges in modern times is another reason this movie failed to live up to it's potential. The stooges were not just a group of comedians, they were the humorous outlet that many common folk used to escape the horrors of the great depression. Placing them in a modern-day setting takes a lot away from their original charm. And don't even get me started on the marketing tool that is the inclusion of the Jersey Shore airheads. Just, why? Do we really need to see these people everywhere we turn? They have no place in anything having to do with the Three Stooges, and are simply here to attract the teenage masses.

All in all, this movie was not bad. It was entertaining and enjoyable but only at times, and there are a few funny instances and classic slapstick gags that will always net a chuckle or two. But the Three Stooges are legends, and their original genius work should just not be touched. The fact that they turned their classic shorts into a Hollywood production geared towards younger children is not a surprise, but it is a disappointment nonetheless. Skip this one if you're not a fan of the Stooges original work, but give it a watch if you were. It's worth the initial watch, but I know I won't be giving it any more than that.

Overall: 5.5/10

Not a major remake fan in general. In this case a modern feature length remake of the trio made famous by their one hundred and ninety short films between 1922 and '70.

Perhaps the greatest sin of all is making this Three Stooges production in colour.

Do yourself a favour and make this movie much, much better by turning down the colour on your TV to its lowest setting-the point at which the picture becomes black and white.

Give it a try and you'll see this Stooges' film is instantly ten times better and more familiar. Why this was not completely obvious to the Farrelly Brothers during the planning of this movie I don't understand. And if the studios were demanding colour then The Farrelly Brothers should have played hardball saying they would rather not make the film.

The story is mediocre; the gags are Stooges' gags; some of the acting is good, and some poor. The film being in colour is unforgivable. The Three Stooges is and always will be seared into the public consciousness as short sketch films in black and white. Do yourself a favour and watch it in B&W. The visual gags lend themselves to black and white better. I went as far as to convert my copy of the film to a permanent B&W copy using the application Handbrake on my computer. If I can help it I will never watch this film in colour again.

FANS of The Three Stooges will not be disappointed with the excessive slapstick humor that predominates this flick. Some will come in knowing what to expect, and others new to this brand of humor may laugh aloud at the beginning, and soon find it repulsive. The guy behind me in the theater at KLCC could not contain his raucous laugh, and I wondered how long the flick could prod him to continue laughing. The main theme of this flick is the undying loyalty between the three friends, who grew up in an orphanage and will always there for one another. However, for an oddball movie, I found the plot mildly complex and sprouting pro-Democratic (Obama) propaganda. The trio sets out to seek funds to save the orphanage from being closed down because it could not pay its insurance bills. This cries out for the universal health care package introduced by Obama and which caused great controversy among Republicans. The flick also mentions the debilitating economic crisis. The assassination plot in a "dumb" flick is totally unexpected. The movie actually enters territory more accustomed to film noir, with a femme fatale who's bursting at the seams with a desire to corrupt any man who falls for her charm.

For me, the presence of model Kate Upton was worth the the price of the ticket.

Are the Farrellys done? Apparently this is the big project they've been wanting to make ever since they first started, but two decades worth of thought couldn't make it any good. It has to be said though, this movie has some pretty decent gags. When you compare it to their other recent works, like "The Heartbreak Kid", you laugh a lot more. But somehow someway, "The Three Stooges" is still very hard to sit through. I know you can't make a Three Stooges reboot (or whatever the hell they call remakes nowadays) without slapstick, but by the fifth time you see them poke each other in the eye you've seen it. Particularly Will Sasso's Curly gets incredibly tiresome within the first twenty minutes. That's probably why the real guys always stuck to brief sketches, because it's all so repetitive. The old slapstick also doesn't gel at all with all the new stuff involved, particularly with the rather hackneyed idea of bringing in "Jersey Shore". There are actually some laughs in this movie, but it just goes absolutely nowhere so you tend to tune out.

The Farrelly Brothers, Peter and Bobby, have returned to the screen with their newest film, "The Three Stooges". Set as an adaptation of the original slapstick comedy TV series of the same name from the 30s, "The Three Stooges" talks about Larry, Curly, and Moe, who go off in shenanigans, act like idiots, slap each other around, poke each other in the eye, and all that stuff! But, they were actually sent to an orphanage as kids, yet nobody wanted them. Years later, they're grown up and now work at the orphanage, which is in jeopardy of shutting down, due to a loss of needed amounts of money. Now, Larry, Curly, and Moe go off to save their precious childhood home...by acting like complete idiots and do absolutely nothing. Now, I pretty much became a fan of The Three Stooges after watching a few episodes on Netflix, and they made me laugh out loud. Their comedy worked back then, and they were the idols of slapstick comedy. But in the movie, I just don't think that this type of humor is relative for a young audience of our present era. It tries really hard to still relate to our new era. That's why when the movie came on, I was expecting to despise every single minute of the film, thinking it was the new "Jack and Jill" sequel. However, surprisingly, although this is not a good movie in any department whatsoever, at least it wasn't god-awful. Yeah, some of the jokes fell flat, and mostly the nature of it all was just downright dumbfounding, but there's more that a movie needs for it to be awful. Yet, this movie didn't need that! There were some things that worked in the movie. For example, this movie is actually nostalgic to the original show. The theme song will play at times, the scenes are separated into chapters, some scenes fade in between one another, and they actually found actors that look, sound, and feel like the Three Stooges. Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe, Sean Hayes as Larry, and Will Sasso as Curly, all portray an exact impersonation of these three bumbling heroes. But here's what did not work in this movie. There are a few share of giggles into this movie, but overall, this movie had moments that were just not funny. Some moments just left me in a dumbfounded matter, and I didn't buy the comedy in this one. The storyline was weak, all those celebrity cameos (Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson, Larry David, Sofia Vergara, and the cast of Jersey Shore) were unnecessary, the jokes fell flat, and all of that slapping and poking was better off in the past, and not suited for a 90-minute long movie. Let's not forget that moment at the end credits when....well, you have to see it to disbelieve it. "The Three Stooges" is a mixed bag of a movie, in my honest opinion. Nothing was great, and nothing was awful, so this movie is somewhat harmless. But everything else about this movie was just too pointless, too humorless, and it serves no purpose. I'll always be a Three Stooges fan, but when these three lovable morons are put in a full-length movie, it's probably not the best idea in the world. "The Three Stooges", in my review, "undeniably harmless, but sadly weak in delivery".

The Three Stooges characters and the slapstick schtick they imitate are dead on impressive and truly a modern recreation and indicative of the obvious love and respect that the filmmakers have for the absolutely unique format the Stooges created.

Moe, Larry, and Curly have been reborn and the sad part is that they had to be put in this post-modern display of bathroom humor and the awful TV "reality" shows. While hitting, slapping, gouging, poking, and beating each other what must have been a million times over the years, not once did the boys ever aim below the belt.

Religion has no place in the wacky world of The Three Stooges. This and the aforementioned are an obvious attempt to please today's moviegoers and is not in the spirit and specialty that the comedy team invented.

Were the Director's so afraid that kids today would find the original comedy so dated that all that superfluous stuff was needed? Did they really have such little faith in the timeless quality of superb slapstick, that they had to spew bodily elimination, instead of seltzer, to get a laugh? How about a pie in the face, or motor oil (that could be a modern statement) instead of a warm yellow liquid.

'THE THREE STOOGES': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

The Farrelly Brothers feature adaptation of the popular mid-20th century comedy act 'The Three Stooges' (which were most well known in short films) is extremely faithful to it's source material (which is it's biggest strength as well as it's biggest flaw). Peter and Bobby Farrelly co-directed and co-wrote the film (with Mike Cerrone) and actors Sean Hayes (of 'WILL & GRACE' fame), Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos star as Larry, Curly and Moe. The film also features Sofia Vergara, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson and Larry David in supporting roles. There is a lot of talent involved in the film (as you can probably tell) but you definitely can't tell that by the finished project. It's probably the worst Farrelly Brothers film I've ever seen.

The film is split in to three 27 minute part short films (each individually titled). The continuing story revolves around Larry, Curly and Moe having to raise $830,000 to save the orphanage they grew up at (and are still living in, at age 35) from being shut down. Vergara plays the film's gorgeous villain (of course), Lydia, she's the scheming wife of an old friend of the stooges, Teddy (Kirby Heyborne), who used to live with them at the orphanage. She wants her husband killed so she can inherit his fortune and be with her lover (Craig Bierko). The film also involves a subplot where Moe is cast on the reality TV show 'JERSEY SHORE'!

I was never a big fan of 'The Three Stooges'; I remember watching their shorts (on TV) and thinking they were funny as a kid but not after I got past about the second or third grade. Their humor is so lowbrow, violent and witless I have a hard time imagining how any adult could find any entertainment value in it (other than for nostalgic reasons, which I understand). Like I said this movie is extremely faithful to the original short films; the three leads are perfectly cast and you can tell the Farrelly's put a lot of passion in to the project. Die-hard fans of the original trio will probably really enjoy the film. I was amused and somewhat intrigued by the effort that was made to stay true to the original material and also once again found it perplexing why anyone ever thought it was funny. I loved watching Sofia Vergara as a stunning femme fatale villain though (once again) and the three leads doing their best imitations of the classic characters was somewhat entertaining as well. It's still pretty bad though and once again not funny!

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8W7gz6XHo

The Farrelly Brothers, Bobby and Peter (who directed and also co-wrote the screenplay with Mike Cerrone), put their stamp on the Three Stooges phenomenon. Their film is predictably full of violent physical slapstick and sight-gags, but it has a certain maniacal-yet-breezy charm, and it's been colorfully cast. Three babies are literally dumped on the doorstep of a Catholic orphanage; 25 years on, the rambunctious trio--Larry, Moe, and Curly--have missed their chances at being adopted and have become incompetent handymen for the resident nuns. It isn't clear if the Stooges are meant to be related, nor are the Farrellys concerned with keeping this scenario on somewhat-realistic ground (the threesome age from infants to boys to men, but the nuns never change). Taking the accident-prone Stooges out into the real world for the first time--to raise money for the financially-strapped orphanage--smacks a bit of "The Brady Bunch Movie", and the pathos involving a dying girl are unwelcomed; however, the laughs are certainly there. Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, and the amazingly accurate Chris Diamantopoulos carry the film, though even their gung-ho charisma can't save a feel-good finale which drags its feet, not to mention a poor tie-in to MTV's "Jersey Shore" (complete with prolonged cameos by its orange-tanned cast, who deserve a poke in the eye). Matthew F. Leonetti's cinematography is ungainly, and most of the writing is disappointing, but the Farrellys keep it fairly short at 92mns, and they do deliver some wild gags. ** from ****

Having been a life-long fan of the Stooges, I looked upon this movie with the anticipation of having Sir Laurence Olivier work on my teeth. I got it today watching it from the "On Demand" service from my cable company, and was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near the laughs of a good Stooges short, but, it wasn't totally terrible. Some of the bad guys in this movie did remind me of the supporting cast of the Stooges; such as Sofia Vergara was like a Latina Christine McIntyre, and Stephen Collins was like Kenneth McDonald. The main problem was that there was no real chemistry between the three actors playing the Stooges. Especially since the original Stooges were 2 brothers and Larry (either combination of Moe & Shemp, or Moe & Curly). If you are HUGE Stooges fans, go in with the prospect of HATING this movie, and you'll get some smiles, but no serious laughs.

The Three Stooges grow up in a Nun run orphanage. The orphanage will close due to lack of funding and the Stooges vow to get the money to keep the orphanage open.

You may enjoy this rendition of the Three Stooges if you have never seen the originals. This is not a laugh fest but there are some sight gags that are amusing. The original Stooges didn't do the nyuk, nyuk, nyuking as much as is seen in here and that impact suffered some.

Remember what I have always said about Hollywood comedies: silly and stupid things are mandatory and we " soitenly" have a lot of that in here. But, in order to pay homage to the original Stooges a lot of the "mandatory" stuff had to be included because the original Stooges did all that. Who does it better is for you to decide.

To get the money to save the orphanage, the Stooges are offered a job to kill Mac (Craig Bierko) pretend husband of Lydia (Sophia Vergara), who is said to have a fatal disease and wants to go out on his own terms. This subplot comes out of the old FLETCH novels. Of course, it is Teddy (Kirby Heybourne) who will be the real victim/husband of Lydia who is married to Teddy and who wants Teddy's money. If you have followed this so far you just know all will go wrong. Hey, it's a comedy and more opportunities for nyuk, nyuk, nyuking. OMG!

The cast of the Jersey Shore (reality TV show), Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson, Stephen Collins and Larry David round out the cast of notables. Larry David plays Sister Mary-Mengele (who may have been related to Mengele, the German doctor who experimented on WWII prisoners of war) and does a credible job that could open a new series for him. Anyway, why would he be named Mengele?

The Farrelly brothers, who produced this, come out at the end of the movie to explain that the hammers and sledge hammers used to hit people were actually made of rubber and they warn kids not to do these things at home. What wasn't mentioned by them was the fully engaged chainsaw used on Curly's (Will Sasso) head. When I saw that I jumped as that was really out of place. Yes, the chainsaw was damaged on Curly's hard head. Still……………. not funny. That scene should have been cut.

Now, get this: I read somewhere that the stars who were originally supposed to play the Three Stooges: Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Jim Carrey. Can you believe that? I believe the Farrelly brothers made the better choice with Hayes, Sasso and Diamantopoulos.

Now, if you have seen the original Three Stooges, you can decide which three did it better. For me this was kind of pleasant, had good pacing and even with the Hollywood OMG "mandatory" stuff, this was watchable. But, make no mistake, this was nyuk, nyuk, nyuk not the same. Soitenly………not the same. (5/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No. Suggestive dialogue: Some. Running chainsaw: Used on Curly's head. Out of place, dangerous and not funny.

¨Will work for $830,000, no job too small. We'll pres your shirts. We'll shine your shoes. We'll raid your fridge and drink your booze.¨

The Three Stooges were the kings of slapstick comedy during the early 30's and continued to have success until the 60's. They were amongst the greatest comedians in early film history along with Charles Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, and Buster Keaton who all wrote the book on this genre of film. The Farrelly brothers were also huge fans of the trio so they decided to make an original film in homage to the kings of knucklehead comedies. Fans of the Stooges might be impressed, I on the other hand didn't find the film all that hilarious. I laughed at very few scenes, although I did admire some of the wit. The problem is that I was familiar with most of the gags and I find it hard to laugh at a same joke twice. I wasn't really a fan of the original Three Stooges, but I still admired their work. If anything works in this film it's the addition of the Jersey Shore cast to remind us how terrible television has gotten, and how far away we are from the early years where truly talented actors dominated the screen. Nowadays, with reality television no particular talent is needed and Jersey Shore is proof of that. Seeing the Three Stooges interact with the reality cast was a reminder of this. The cast was pretty good, although none of the actors are real film stars: Sean Hayes is known for his work in Will and Grace, Will Sasso for MadTV, Jane Lynch for Glee, Larry David for Seinfeld, and Sofia Vergara for Modern Family. They were funny and reminded us that some TV series actually do work and we don't have to fall for all those reality television stars.

Larry (Sean Hayes), Curly (Will Sasso), and Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos) grow up in an Orphanage run by Mother Superior (Jane Lynch). At first the nuns were excited about the arrival of the triplet babies, but when the film moves ten years forward none of them want anything to do with the kids. They mean trouble and no one can handle them, especially Sister Mary-Mengele (Larry David) who wants to call it quits. They design a plan to get the boys adopted, but no one ever chooses them. The movie then jumps 25 years forward where we see the Stooges as grown men still living in the Orphanage working in Maintenance. Mother Superior, Sister Mary-Mengele, and Sister Rosemary (Jennifer Hudson) are still there as well and ironically haven't aged one bit. Things change for the Stooges when Monsignor Ratliffe (Brian Doyle-Murray) arrives to deliver the bad news: There is no money to finance the orphanage any more, if they don't come up with 830,000 thousand dollars in a month they will lose it. That is when the three stooges go on a mission to raise the money and save the place. For the first time in their lives, Larry, Curly, and Moe set their foot in society and have no clue as to how to raise the money, but their lives change when they meet Lydia (Sofia Vergara) who offers them the money if they kill her husband. All sort of misunderstandings take place as the three stooges try to find a way to save their beloved orphanage.

The Farrelly brothers' comedy, There is Something About Mary, changed modern comedies in the 90's. It was one of my favorite comedies at the time and many comedies have been shaped by it ever since. Unfortunately, the Farrelly brothers haven't been able to match the success of that film and have been on a downhill slope since then. The Three Stooges had some hilarious moments, but unfortunately the great jokes were too spread out apart and mixed with some terrible scenes that didn't work and killed the momentum (for instance the baby diaper changing scene). It was unfortunate because the cast was pretty good. The three actors who played the stooges had the physical appearance of the original ones and really gave funny performances. The problem I have with these slapstick comedies is that once you've seen one hilarious movie about the Stooges then you've seen them all. There is nothing new to add to the premise which always includes a lot of eye-popping, slapping, smacking each other over the head with a hammer, and so on. If you see it for the first time the gag is hilarious, but watching the same act over and over again gets old. The Three Stooges wasn't terrible, but it wasn't a memorable comedy either. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you are a die hard Three Stooges fan.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com

The trio themselves are indeed pretty dumb, and maybe the same can be said about this movie. The Three Stooges is just a typical slapstick comedy film that the purpose of rebooting the trio is just to be more of the modern version of themselves. The best the movie can do with it is a lack of storytelling just for the sake of the trio just goofing around throughout the majority of it, along with mostly weak comedy, forgettable characters, and unneeded special effects. Seriously, there are times the eyes can pop out, which can make the movie seem a bit disturbing. But maybe there are some effort that can keep this from being truly terrible with the editing and the acting. If you want to watch a full length movie of the classic trio, then I guess this could be for you. But I honestly don't see the rush in even watching it. I'm going to have to at least give this one more of a slap in the wrist because it really could've been handled better to reboot The Three Stooges.