1994’s “Dumb and Dumber” is considered by some to be a cult comedy classic, highlighted by one of the funniest performances of Jim Carrey’s career. 20 years later, Carrey (who’s hasn’t had much success with anything in a while) and Jeff Daniels (who’s earned an Emmy for his current work on HBO’s “The Newsroom”) reunite with directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly for “Dumb and Dumber To”. This is actually the third film in the franchise, following 1997’s prequel “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”, which starred different actors. That’s a film most people would like to forget, and now the same can be said for “D&DTo”, which is guaranteed to be near the top of practically everyone’s Worst Movies of 2014 list.
Where do I begin? The plot is absolutely ridiculous. In a nutshell: Harry (Daniels) needs a new kidney – and from a blood relative. He and Lloyd (Carrey), who’s spent the past 20 years in a “home” as a prank, head-out on a quest to find the daughter Harry never knew he had. They get involved with her parents – a scientific genius father and a cheating step-mother, who’s out to take all her husband’s money. Everyone, including the girl’s real mother (played by an almost unrecognizable Kathleen Turner), end-up in Texas at the KEN convention, the annual get-together for the smartest thinkers and inventors in the world.
But in order for Harry and Lloyd to get there, they’ve got to drive something. Although it’s in the poster, the Mutt Cutts van prominently featured in the original is only in this sequel for about 10 seconds. It’s an even shorter appearance than the odd and unnecessary Bill Murray cameo as a guy who makes meth in their apartment (this mock of “Breaking Bad” shows the level of “humor” on display). The majority of the time, Harry and Lloyd drive a hearse, symbolizing this film as rolling death.
Most of “Dumb and Dumber To” makes no sense – and that would be OK, if it was funny. But the stale, over-the-top, goofy comedy, dominated by lame physical gags, isn’t worthy of a single chuckle. The story is needlessly complicated with multiple script swerves and multiple Rob Riggles. That’s right, the comedic actor from “21 Jump Street” and “Let’s Be Cops” plays twins here: a handyman who joins Harry and Lloyd on their trip and a secret agent who likes to literally blend-into his surroundings – another failed attempt to generate laughs.
So, for nearly two hours, Carrey and Daniels (both showing their ages) toss-out hundreds of awful, offensive, gross and just plain dumb jokes, in their ridiculous “D&D” voices. It’s hard to imagine any of this was considered funny 20 years ago. It clearly isn’t anymore.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Carrey’s wacky comedies. He’s so much better in dramatic roles and films where he can show a range of legitimate acting (the groundbreaking “The Truman Show” and even as Scrooge in “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”). And for Daniels, what he does in this movie makes it even more shocking that he’d want this on his 2014 resume. I understand taking a role for a paycheck, but even that concept has its limits.
I’m not surprised at how bad “Dumb and Dumber To” turned-out. Anyone who’s seen the trailers should expect the worst – and that’s what you get. Blame must go to the Farrelly Brothers, who could have tried a lot harder by making the film more contemporary (every situation feels dated) and much smarter. Instead, what they’ve produced is the most depressing comedy of the year and a complete waste of time.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Dumb and Dumber To” gets an F. I hate it a lot.
Interestingly, Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence was signed to do a cameo in the film. However, contrary to previous reports that stated Lawrence herself requested to be cut out, the Farrellys say that due to scheduling conflicts, her scene was never filmed. Whatever the truth, Lawrence is not only the hottest actress in Hollywood, but the luckiest, for being able to avoid being connected in any way with this mess.