By Lindsey Rothering —
“Dumb and Dumber To” is not better than the original. It is, however, a worthy follow-up to the 1994 hit.
The chemistry between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels is definitely the most entertaining part of the movie, backed by a great script. The Farrelly brothers, who wrote and directed the first movie, returned to help write and direct. “Dumb and Dumber To” sticks to what made the original such a hit–the hilarious antics of two dim-witted best friends, only this time with more sex jokes.
The plot of the movie focuses on Harry and Lloyd traveling cross-country to track down Harry’s daughter for a kidney transplant. Simplistic enough, it allows ample room for Harry and Lloyd to get into trouble, and when the scenes focus on the two of them, the result is laugh-out-loud funny. The movie’s low marks almost all lie with Harry’s daughter, who is supposed to be the female version of the idiots. Badly acted and even more badly written, the character is unbelievable and more sigh-inducing than chuckleworthy.
Even worse, Lloyd decides early on he has a romantic interest in Harry’s daughter, which is 100 percent not innocent and 200 percent cringeworthy. The daughter is in high school (evidenced by Lloyd’s dream sequence of taking her to prom), and with Lloyd and Harry in their 40’s or 50’s, this comes off as creepy and not at all funny. Lloyd defends himself, saying “age ain’t nothing but a letter.”
The original has so many standout moments, it’s a shame the sequel doesn’t seem as remarkable. If you do go see it (and you should), get your refills during the daughter’s scenes. Also, be sure to stay seated until after the credits.
Rating: Seven out of ten pullovers (they’re cardigans, but thanks for noticing).