Review: Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
Dumb and Dumber is a classic to anyone who loves a good, fun movie. Sure the film isn’t anything more than a string of jokes based on two dumb characters who can’t even read a briefcase correctly, but through the course of the movie you begin to really fall for the characters who stand out as more than your simple comic fare. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd is a prequel to the original which brings in younger versions of the characters who still lack the intelligence to even be born.
The greatest part about this film is not particularly the story, or the laughs, but just how good of a Jim Carrey impersonation Eric Christian Olsen is able to pull off. That seemed to be the biggest draw to the film only seeing preliminary posters and a small teaser trailer. Olsen pulls off Carrey better than Carrey could pull off Carrey. It is just uncanny how well both actors are able being younger versions of Jeff Daniels and Carrey.
Dumb and Dumberer finds us back in High School on Harry’s (Derek Richardson) first day after being home schooled for his entire life. Along the way, following his treasure map, he runs into, literally, Lloyd Christmas (Olsen) who instantly becomes his dim-witted friend. Through a series of misadventures Lloyd and Harry are tricked by Principal Collins (Eugene Levy) into recruiting other social misfits for a fake Special Needs program which will get him a grant for $100,000 which he plans to buy a condo with. For the most part the story takes a backseat to the laughs, in which the movie is full of, but to get most of them you must, once again, return to the lowest common denominator.
While some of the jokes fail to make their mark on the audience, but there are some shinning moments that really put you in tears. One in particular is a rather funny episode with Harry and a melted chocolate bar at the beautiful Jessica’s (Rachel Nichols) house and her uptight Dad’s (Bob Saget) reaction to the whole mess. Jessica serves as the movies love interest for Harry and, to a lesser extent, Lloyd. The gross out humor and bodily function jokes are the most prevalent, but sometimes you notch the film up a level with some clever plays on words and intelligent jokes.
Still if it weren’t for the likeable characters and sometimes hilarious dialog the movie pales with comparison to just about every other movie out there. But if you are attending this for intriguing drama and classical characters you are in the wrong place. Dumb and Dumberer knows what it is and never attempts to go above or beyond that. For such a low budget movie, roughly around $30 million, the film brings in a surprising amount of talent including Luis Guzman as Lloyd’s father and school janitor and Mimi Rogers as Harry’s Mom.
Dumb and Dumberer lacks originality and anything resembling a memorable plot, but that is what you expect when you are laughing for 90 minutes straight. Granted that the movie is sure to be critically panned because of it’s low brow comedy and lack of older people “getting it,” but what they don’t realize is for every Matrix and Mulholland Drive we need a good comedy to express ourselves and a good comedy with poop jokes and stupid characters is just what the doctor ordered. Don’t expected a second renaissance of film making, but do expect to have a good time.
