A sweet ’90s feel to it

Film review: Dumb And Dumber To

MANILA, Philippines - The title is Dumb And Dumber To. No correction please. That is no typo. I guess filmmakers Bobby and Peter Farrelly decided on Dumb And Dumber To instead of Dumb And Dumber Two or Dumb And Dumber Too, since the movie is a sequel, to stress how dumber and dumber or to be more direct, how much more stupid things can become after 20 years.

That is right. It has been 20 years since the Farrelly brothers made a movie titled Dumb And Dumber that extolled whatever virtues there are to being dense, dimwitted, etc. with its tremendous success at the box office. Back then star Jim Carrey could do no wrong by doing everything wrong. And buddy Jeff Daniels was more than glad to tag along.

Well, both guys are back in the sequel 20 years later, on screen chemistry very much intact notwithstanding acclaimed serious acting turns like The Majestic and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind for Carrey or The Newsroom and Pleasantville for Daniels over the years. In fact, they seem to be very glad to be back to their scatter-brained selves anew.

 Which is just as well. The main reason moviegoers will watch Dumb And Dumber To is to find out if Carrey as Lloyd Christmas and Daniels as Harry Dunne have remained as dumb or as moronic as they were before. Thankfully, they have and Carrey and Daniels have no compunction about showing off the child or the primate or whatever stupid gene there is that still exists inside these 50 something men.

Lloyd, soup-bowl hairstyle and all, it turns out has spend the past two decades in a mental hospital presumably because he totally lost all his senses over unrequited love. Remember Mary Samsonite from the original? But as you will find out for yourself if you watch the movie, he was just being true to his prank-filled self.

On the other hand, Harry, who has cared for his supposed vegetative friend all these years, has serious health issues. He needs a kidney transplant and a likely candidate is the daughter he just found out he had with his former girlfriend Fraida Felcher played by Kathleen Turner in an unlikely role. Daughter Penny, played by Rachel Melvin, is quite a looker like mother and gets Lloyd a dreaming of love again at sight of her picture.

And so, the airheads are off. Lloyd to win the love of Penny and Harry to get one of her kidneys. And you all who have seen the first film, know what happens when dumb and dumber hits the road. It is one bizarre, idiotic mishap after another. Prepare for a laugh-fest or at the very least to keep shaking your head over the idea that some people can be that dumb or even dumber.

There is a warm, sweet ’90s feel to the entire film. Very nostalgic and the Farrelys did carefully throw in lots of references to the original film. But of course, things change and a lot have over the past 20 years. Who was it who said, “You can’t go home again”? That is what sequels try to do. Dumb and Dumber To tried to be but it is not Dumb And Dumber.

Still, if you enjoy butt jokes and over the top antics, Dumb And Dumber To works very well. As I see it, the best way to have a good time with this flick is to see it not as an off-shoot of a landmark comedy that has gained cult status. That way, the gags can stand on their own and to not be compared to the original. Then, the laughter will be refreshed and made new again.