Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

It’s supposed to be “two”, you know?

It’s been nearly twenty years since the last time we got to watch bestfriends, Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey), and all their wacky hi-jinx, but it’s also been nearly twenty years since the last time either of them two have had a meaningful, cohesive conversation between the other. That’s because after feeling rejected and all out of sorts from the love of his life, Lloyd had apparently lapsed into a mental state of depression, leaving him to be practically a vegetable. That is, until he reveals to Harry that he was goofing the whole time; as in a way to return the favor, though, Harry reveals that he has to get a kidney transplant, or else he’ll die. But, have no fear, because it just so happens that Harry has a daughter somewhere out there in the world and you know what? Him and Lloyd are going to travel the country to find her! Even if that means putting themselves, and others around them, in constant fear of their lives.

So yeah, did we really need a Dumb and Dumber sequel, especially one that takes place twenty years after the original? Hell no! And guess what? It shows.

Classic.

Because see, while it’s nice to see Carrey and Daniels back in the iconic roles, there’s still something missing here that made the original film so lovely and hilarious, even after all of these years, and that’s just being funny. I can’t really describe it any simpler, folks. This movie just is not funny and if it were, then it would be forgiven for taking too long to get made, or seeming totally unnecessary now. But nope, it’s just not funny and therefore, it’s looked upon harsher and in a more critical way.

That’s what brings me to the actual film itself and how it’s not really funny, compared to the original that still has me dying in my seat, even when I see its constant re-runs on TV every now and then. Mostly, what I think it is, is that the Farrelly brother’s brand of humor in which slapstick and idiotic wit stand side-by-side one another, just isn’t hitting its mark nowadays like it used to. Sure, it can still get a chuckle here and there, but for the most part, it seems oddly dated and just weird when you put into perspective the fact that this film is supposed to be taking place in modern day U.S.A.

Meaning, yes, much has changed since ’94, some good, some bad. But for the most part, the art of humor, what makes people laugh effectively, and what doesn’t, has changed as well, if ever so slightly. It’s not that the jokes in the original weren’t funny or well-written (because they were), it’s just that they were mostly a sign of the times – a day and age when comedies were a lot simpler and branded for a smarter audience.

That’s not to hate on those film makers out there who try to make comedies for all audiences out there, but simply, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Move on.

And that’s exactly the case here with Dumb and Dumber To – while it tries to be funny, time and time again, it simply just doesn’t hit its mark. Even when it does, that’s mostly only thanks to the efforts put in by both Daniels and Carrey; to vets who can’t help but do whatever they can for a simple, hearty laugh. While it’s admirable that these guys would be so dedicated to this material that they’d practically be willing to risk life and limb to get a crack from the crowd, after awhile, once you realize that it’s not really working, it gets to be more sad. Sad to watch these older men try to reclaim their glory days and work with twenty-year-old gags, and also sad to just realize that these characters probably don’t need to be touched ever again.

Which, like I said, isn’t to discredit either Daniels or Carrey, it’s just sad to see them put in so much, and hardly get anything in return. Maybe the two should just go back to challenging themselves with daring, dramatic-roles that not only challenges the mainstream movie-audience to look at them in a different light, but also accept them as actors in the first place, not just two dudes who have to do whatever people want to see them in, because it’s safe, it’s fun, and, well, it works. More so in the case of Carrey, then with Daniels, because while the later has proved himself time and time again that he’s capable of handling drama, Carrey just doesn’t seem all that interested in giving it as many tries as he should. While he’s amazing in these types of dramatic-roles we see him in, Carrey doesn’t try them as often as he should and instead, more or less, jumps right at the next silly, goofball comedy that can come his way.

Even more classic.

A part of me likes this about him, but another part of me just wants him to realize that he has enough money to where he can do whatever he wants, when he wants, and with whomever he wants. So why sit back, collect the checks, and lose credibility, Jim? Spice things up and show the world that you’re as good of an actor as the others out there!

Anyway, I’ve realized that this has gotten further and further away from what was supposed to be my review of Dumb and Dumber To, but I think the fact is this: There’s not much to talk about, other than it’s not funny. It’s not terribly unfunny to where you can’t sit through the whole thing, it’s just that most of the jokes don’t land. And even the ones that do, they do so in such a surprising way, that they’re embraced, laughed about, and gone in a split of a second, to where they’ll never be remember ever again, except for, “Yeah, that one funny joke in Dumb and Dumber To.”

It’s a shame, man. A big one indeed.

Consensus: Though Carrey and Daniels work their guts out here, Dumb and Dumber To still feels like the long-awaited comedy that should have waited longer, or should have just never happened, had everyone known it was going to be this bad.

2.5 / 10 = Crapola!!

Wait…wha?

Photo’s Credit to: IMDB, AceShowbiz