Dumb and Dumber To Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle

Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Ultraviolet, Color, Widescreen

Language: German (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: Spanish, French, German, English

Dubbed: Spanish, French, German

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: February 17, 2015

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

        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