Dumb and Dumber was the first film from
the Farrelly brothers, Peter and Bobby, and quickly established them as a force
to be reckoned with in the world of comedy. As significant to 1990s gross-out
comedy as National Lampoon was in the 1980s and Judd Apatow in the 2000s, the
Farrelly brothers brought the raunch back to the genre. Although it may have
helped their careers advance by not making a sequel to Dumb and Dumber at the height of its popularity, it does nothing to
help the filmmakers who have been on a quick descent these past few years.
With a loose
explanation for their lengthy absence, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return to
the iconically idiotic roles of Lloyd and Harry. What made the stupidity of
these characters so humorous in the first film was the fact that everyone else
around them was fairly intelligent (at least by their standards), but Dumb and Dumber To immediately missteps
by filling the supporting cast with a variety of oddball characters that rival the
absurdity of Lloyd and Harry. Like the film Idiocracy,
Dumb and Dumber To makes fun of the
stupidity of the characters while simultaneously treating the audience like
fools in the amount of lowbrow humor.
The plot is kept
fairly simple, mostly so that the gags can continue in rapid succession. Harry
discovers that he may have inexplicably fathered a child when he discovers a
twenty-year-old letter from a past lover (Kathleen Turner). He and Lloyd set
out on another road trip in search of another unsuspecting young woman, unaware
that they are accidentally getting caught up in a murder plot. Penny (Rachel
Melvin) is clueless enough that she could easily be Harry’s daughter, unaware
that her adoptive father (Steve Tom) is slowly being murdered by his wife
(Laurie Holden).
In the attempt
to revive these characters, they may do more to damage the memories people have
of the past film. The stupid jokes are easier to swallow, though these are the
ones which tend to repeat throughout the film. It is the graphically disgusting
humor that the Farrelly brothers were once known for which has become so
wearisome. Gross only works when it is actually funny, and much of this has no
relevance when everything exists in a world that is not relatable. More than
anything, I just felt sorry for those involved. Even with the commitment to
their performances, you can almost see the souls of the stars dying with every
failed joke.
The Blu-ray
combo pack release comes with a DVD and Digital HD copy of the film. The DVD extras
only include one simple making-of featurette, though there are additional
special features exclusively on the Blu-ray disc. These include an additional
featurette and plenty of additional footage, including a gag reel and
deleted/extended scenes. Among these is also an ‘Alternate Opening,’ which is
essentially just the same opening with a few additional scenes to drag out the
film’s first gross-out gag involving the removal of a catheter.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 3.5/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 4/10
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