I can’t recall the last time a theater was as quiet as the one where I saw Dumb and Dumber To the other night. Yes, there was occasional laughter—more often than not, without my participation—but when the film was over, there was little response of any kind. If there was a device that could measure the impact of jokes falling flat, this film would be an ideal test subject. Full disclosure: I was not a fan of the original Dumb and Dumber twenty years ago, so I wasn’t eagerly awaiting this reunion of its stars. But I was willing to give it a shot; after all, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are major talents. Carrey is able to embrace the silly simplicity of his character without breaking a sweat. Jeff Daniels gives it his all, but perhaps my awareness of his other work makes it harder for me to accept him as a goofball. It’s certainly not for lack of effort on his part; he matches Carrey’s wide-eyed infantilism at every turn and never breaks character. My chief complaint about Dumb and Dumber To is that it isn’t very funny. The ratio of laughs to dead air is shockingly high.( Of course, I felt that way about the first film in 1994, and millions of people loved it.) It’s also a bit disconcerting to encounter a roster of unfamiliar faces in supporting roles, with the notable exceptions of Rob Riggle and Kathleen Turner. The other actors, presumably cast on location in Atlanta, are competent, but directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly could have gotten much more out of expert comedy players. The Farrellys are among six writers credited with the story and screenplay for Dumb and Dumber To. I don’t know if anyone could have done more with the shaky premise of reuniting the aging characters of Harry and Lloyd—or if they just shoulda stayed in bed.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 14:59:01 +0000
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