MOCK-YEA-ING-YEA! Lloyd and Harry are back with Dumb and Dumber To. The Farrelly brothers enlist the two dimwitted friends into taking another road trip, only this time it's in the name of science. Harry needs a new kidney.
Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels don't miss a beat as the dastardly duo, but it all seems a bit too desperate. What made the original so fantastic was that it was fresh, organic, and "subtle with a b", duh Harry. In the follow up, the jokes were a plenty, but, like premature wine, they didn't have any room to breathe.
The major thing holding this film back was the pacing of the jokes and overall direction. It started off strong, even riffing off a few of the classic songs that put you in a time warp back to 1994. I really enjoyed segments of the film and got nostalgic as the first couple of scenes unfolded, but when the duo started looking for Harry's long-lost daughter Penny (Rachael Melvin), I couldn't stop thinking about Mary Swanson, Sampson"¦Samsonite.
Speaking of, Dumb and Dumber To boasts a stellar all-around cast that gives us some strong performances, including Kathleen Turner as the elusive Fraida Felcher, a character that was referenced in the first film. Rob Riggle stars as Travis, the main antagonist who is trying desperately to stop the two buffoons from tacking down Harry's daughter. And who can forget everyone's favorite blind tenant, Billy from 4-C? Not to worry, he's back.
The Farrelly Brothers crafted a script worthy of a sequel, but I think this one would be better served-up ten years ago. Carrey and Daniels, although both gifted, are pushing sixty and it shows. I had really hoped that this film would get Carrey back on the right track in terms of film roles. There is still a chance that a nostalgic look back at what put him on the map will help him reclaim his spot as America's rubber-faced funny man, but Dumb and Dumber To isn't quite the comeback I was hoping it would be.
I will say that Dumb and Dumber To surpassed the titanic disaster that was Anchorman 2, and it squeaked out just enough laughs for me to recommend. A solid sequel for sure, but I was left thinking more about a place called Aspen where the beer flows like wine than the film itself, which is never a good sign.
