Dumb and Dumber To: An Embarrassing and Juvenile Sequel (Blu-ray)
The Film:
Way back in 1994, the Farrelly Brothers brought us an amusing little comedy called “Dumb and Dumber.” Well, at least seeing it as a kid it was pretty amusing, but not quite so much after you grow up and stop finding things like diarrhea funny. Now, 20 years later, the Farrellys have teamed up with the original stars (Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels) again to continue the story of the special goofballs Harry and Lloyd in an attempt to bring back the same “magic” that the first film had all those years ago. Picking up in real time, we find Harry (Daniels) visiting Lloyd (Carrey), who has been in a catatonic state in the 20 years since the last film. However, Lloyd finally reveals that he has been faking it all this time to pull off what both find to be a very amusing joke. Shortly after, Harry reveals that he is in need of a new kidney, causing them to go visit his parents in hopes of finding a match, but to his shock, his Asian parents tell him that he is adopted. While it does appear to be a dead end, a very old piece of mail reveals that Harry is the father of a young woman, Penny (Rachel Melvin), whose mother (Kathleen Turner) he had a one-night stand with years ago. With this glimmer of hope, Harry and Lloyd set out to find her so that father and daughter can be reunited… with the possibility of getting a kidney in the process.
As I mentioned, the original “Dumb and Dumber” is the kind of movie that you might find amusing if you’re really young, but the sequel is a film that I would have a hard time believing how anyone could find it amusing, regardless of age. The Farrellys, along with four other writers, have fashioned a film that is jam-packed with enough lowbrow humor and other unfunny material to make you wonder why on Earth big stars like Jim Carrey (who hasn’t been in a good movie for about a decade) and Jeff Daniels (recent Emmy winner for his role on “The Newsroom”) would sign up for it. Apparently, even well into their 50s, the Farrellys still find things like farting, pulling out a catheter, fingering an old woman in a nursing home, sexist jokes, and various juvenile quips to be extremely funny, when in fact they almost make the film unbearable to watch for the high level of desperation it emits. The title is really as far as you need to look to see the level of humor you’re going to be getting here (oh no, they misspelled “two!” That’s hysterical!). The original did indeed have a little charm to it, and a few amusing moments, but unfortunately you won’t find any of that here. “Desperate” really is the perfect word to describe this mess, and as a result, you should desperately stay as far away from it as possible.
Video/Audio:
The presentation of the 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer is flawless, giving you an amazingly crisp picture that couldn’t possibly be better. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is equally impressive, allowing you to hear each and every terrible joke that’s fired your way in outstanding quality. Overall, the film has been given great treatment with absolutely nothing to complain about in either department.
Special Features:
Alternate Opening: An extra that really needed quotes around the “alternate” part as it’s merely the same opening with about ten additional seconds of trying to pull out Lloyd’s catheter. Not worth mentioning, nor worth its front and center spot on the box.
Deleted and Extended Scenes: A smattering of additional material that, like the rest of the film, just isn’t worth exploring.
Gag Reel: A collection of outtakes that aren’t particularly funny, so they’re not really worth watching.
What’s So Smart About Dumb and Dumber To: A pointless featurette that explores the idea of people doing dumb things and why the concept of the original film was popular. Easily skippable.
“That’s Awesome” – The Story of Dumb and Dumber To: The one worthwhile extra on the disc is this 45-minute look behind the scenes at the making of the film, featuring interviews with the cast and crew. You have to forgive some of the misleading things that are said (“The Farrellys know what’s funny”), but it’s worth exploring to see how this sequel finally got made.
Conclusion:
“Dumb and Dumber To” is a complete misfire, featuring far too much unfunny juvenile material that merely makes one wonder how on Earth anyone thought it would work. I find it too hard to believe that Carrey or Daniels were so desperate for money that they looked past the multitude of obvious problems with the script, meaning that Daniels must have had a temporary, but severe, lapse of judgment, while Carrey’s merely continues to be absent. Whatever the reason, it’s no excuse for this dreadful mess, which hopefully puts Harry and Lloyd to rest for good, for the thought of having to endure another sequel is just too much to bear.
Score: 1.5/5
Available on Blu-ray and DVD starting tomorrow.
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