Harry Dunne (played by Jeff Daniels) learns that he needs a kidney transplant. Though he has no biological family as he was adopted, he learns that he has a long-lost daughter. He needs to find her but he can’t do it alone, so he calls upon the help of his old friend Lloyd Christmas (played by Jim Carrey). Lloyd has spent years at a mental facility in a catatonic state, but Harry snaps him out of it so they can go on their journey. These two knuckleheads travel the country following clues and ironically wind up at the world’s summit for the most brilliant minds.
Dumb and Dumber is a classic comedy. 10 years later it got a prequel, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. It’s self explanatory as to what that one was about. That film was a disappointment in general, but I appreciated the casting and still laughed here and there. It’s now 20 years later and expectations are high for a true worthy sequel to the original. I mean, over a 20 years period one would think that a few good ideas could be thought up to make this a good one, right?
Well unfortunately for me it didn’t live up to my expectations. I appreciated the various nods to the original film but it felt like a lazier effort than the original and the jokes weren’t nearly as funny or creative. There were a few moments here or there, but the nostalgia factor is a bigger deal than the actual comedy. When I think back on any of my favorite moments from this franchise, none of them will be from this entry.
One surprise for me was seeing Kathleen Turner. I hadn’t seen her in anything for years. She’s a great actress so I was hoping they could do her character justice here. I also found myself wondering why this was the film she chose after so many years off the big screen.
The first film was PG-13 and I wonder if it would have benefitted from an R-rating to produce a better product. An R-Rating usually sacrifices ticket tales, but if this was a good film it then could sell itself.
Overall, the final product was not worth the wait. I don’t know if it’s because of time passed or because the novelty has worn off, but it just wasn’t a winning formula this time around. Maybe in another 10 years they’ll get it right.