DUMB AND DUMBER TO - REVIEW

Who knew that 20 years and one sub-par prequel later, Dumb And Dumber would actually receive its long talked-about sequel starring one-off hit comedy duo Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels?

Suck me sideways...

Somehow, the Farrelly Brothers made it happen and this year we were treated to more dumb in the cartoonishly-titled Dumb And Dumber To. The film was a box-office hit in the U.S. and has been doing surprisingly well all over but was it truly worth the wait? Is Harry and Lloyd's comeback a glorious one or an Icelandic Snow Owl-style catastrophe?

Being a die hard Dumb And Dumber fan since childhood myself, the bar was raised pretty high in terms of expectations but, admittedly, the idea of seeing a sequel with these guys alone was enough of a treat that I could forgive a heck of a lot. And so I did of a sequel boasting some great jokes and energetic, ridiculously fun performances from the two leads but also an unfocused, uneven script, a lazy storyline and a whole string of good-but-not-good-enough jokes you just wished didn't pop up right next to the actually funny stuff. Now, don't get me wrong, Dumb And Dumber To does have its funny moments and some brilliant lines but whenever the "plot" kicks in you're just left wondering why the Farrellys even bothered fitting the humour to the story when the focus really should have been on cementing the very best jokes possible to even try to match the original film quality and laughs-wise.

Problem is: Dumb And Dumber was a really well made comedy with pretty much every single joke in it hitting the mark and this is a poorly made comedy which just happens to have Carrey and Daniels on top form, making the most out of a hit-and-miss scenario.

The references made to the first film throughout this sequel are expectedly ham-fisted at times but they are designed specifically for fans of the original so I'm happy to say that 90% of those were really enjoyable. From the iconic "Mutt Cuts" car cameo to the familiar music cues, the return "Billy in 4C" and the detailed re-creation of Harry and Lloyd's crappy apartment, it's all fan service and it admittedly mostly works. Yes the plot even mirrors the first film's pretty closely but that doesn't even really matter as this feels more like a loving homage (and shameless retread) with some new goodies added in than a straight-up follow-up moving the characters' arc forward in any way. The film knows you're just happy to see Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels say and do stupid things while having the time of their lives again, it's just a shame the whole daughter/KEN conference/bad guys with guns plot doesn't really go anywhere and culminates in a way too long scene in a bathroom of all places.

If you, like me, were thirsting for a nostalgic burst of Dumb And Dumber without watching that movie yet again then Dumb And Dumber To is a good time. It's no masterpiece and it certainly doesn't live up to the still hilarious original and you have to sit through a fair bunch of unremarkable screenwriting and acting (from some of the supporting cast, anyway) to enjoy the good moments but, for some, it'll still be worth it even if many others will file this one under "too little too late".

One for the faithful fans (you know who you are).

You little pumpkin pie haircutted freaks...