Review of Dumb and Dumber To (2014) by Karla E — 27 Jan 2015

Henceforth to be known as the final film Hue and I saw before the birth of Jack...in fact we saw this the night before her contractions started...and I wouldn't be surprised is her laughter (and the entire cinema filled with laughter) brought them on.

Yes, this film has been savagely panned by cynical critics, and yes, many of my friends who guffawed at the original 20 years ago turned their nose up at the notion of seeing this one (some people really DO change, I guess, even if Harry and Lloyd do not). But when we went to see this film on opening night, the first session was sold out, and we barely managed tickets to the second session...and the cinema was filled with tasteless cretins eager to laugh as much as the first time.

And laugh they did. Laugh we did too.

It's SO great to see Daniels and Carrey back as Harry and Lloyd. Age has not wearied them or given them the pretensions to avoid this broadest of juvenile humour. They deliver the goods with the same goofy enthusiasm they did 20 years ago.

No, the film itself is not a bit as good as the original. Yes the supporting characters stuff is more humdrum. Yes, a few parts with our moronic heroes fall flat/are a bit too nasty/arguably go too far. But remembering some of the highlights of this sequel, I'm sitting here at my desk guffawing my head off.

Like the first film, I suspect this sequel will come to be appreciated a lot more with at home rewatches (Netflix this time, as opposed to video rental last) when the knives that were out upon its premiere get progressively blunted.

Of course it's a film for a particular audience. But if you were in that particular audience 20 years ago, and remember the first film with a huge grin on your face, there's no reason at all to avoid this one.

My wife loved it so much she gave birth a few days later...