The first time I saw Dumb and Dumber I had rented the film from a Blockbuster with little to no prior knowledge of its content. I was 8 years old, sprawled out on a lazy boy chair, stuffing my mouth with Cookie Dough Bites. I probably choked on maybe six of those bites because I was laughing so hard. At the time, most of the humor flew over my head, as there were many sexual innuendos, but I was enchanted by the laughs and facial expressions of Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas. I was in love with their friendship, their ability to be less than wise, and how that ability got them out of bad situations. It was the kind of film I still crave and am reminded of over the years. It was also a film I had previously thought would never be reproduced in any form. Time has proven me incorrect.
In 2003, the director Troy Miller made a prequel to Dumb and Dumber called Dumb and Dumberer Too: When Harry Met Lloyd. It was written by one of the Farrelly brothers who had directed the 1994 film. Disappointingly, it features no members of the original cast. The film is about how Harry and Lloyd originally met in high school and were considered “special.” I was excited to see this film because I wanted to see more of Harry and Lloyd in any form and was pleased they were still of interest to filmmakers. I had low expectations because I had watched the unimpressive trailer five times in a row, hoping I would somehow become more impressed with each viewing.
When I eventually watched it I was thoroughly disappointed and even disturbed. It left me in psychological pain, a rare feeling for me to experience from a movie. Actually, I would call the experience like being in a torture chamber—filled with seats and flying popcorn and a screen—that I sat in for over 90 minutes. If they had renamed the filmed “Garbage” maybe few would complain. The critics agreed with me. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times said of the film: “It has a flat, deadly aura and it’s not even gutsy enough to be sexy or potentially offensive.” Dan S., a guy who likes to review Vince Vaughn’s work on RottenTomatoes, said of the film: “A pointless sequel that feels so forced, detrimental, and unfunny, that it is basically the film equivalent of kidnapping.” I wondered if it was possible to create another version of the original without Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, or either of the Farrelly brothers directing.
Then, something big happened, for myself and the film. In 2013 a trailer was released for a sequel to Dumb and Dumber featuring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprising their roles as Lloyd and Harry. Even Billy Bluhm, as Billy the Blind Kid, was in it again! I must admit, I was less than enthralled with the trailer. It seemed like both actors had lost touch with the characters they had played 19 years ago, which was understandable. Jim Carrey was fantastic in the mid-to-late ’90s but seems to have a shaky filmography through a large portion of the 2000s. Jeff Daniels has done less work than Jim Carrey since Dumb and Dumber but has possibly been more selective with his projects.
The sequel is premised on Lloyd having been committed to a mental care facility on account of his rejection by Mary Swanson in the first film. After his release, one of the men finds out they need a new kidney. He is unsure of a proper donor but is happy to learn he fathered a child 22 years ago who could possibly help. Harry and Lloyd then go on a journey to find the daughter they both have never met and to convince her to give a kidney. On the way they come across people with guns, train accidents, and other unfortunate events. The character Freda Felcher, whom both the men were involved with from the original film, returns as the mother of the child and is played by Kathleen Turner. There are also very short cameos by Bill Murray and the mom in that child beauty queen reality show on TLC.
I waited impatiently for this film to be released. Sometimes ads for it would appear on my social media feeds because the Internet knows who I am. I would look at photos of the cast and crew filming and peruse over inflammatory comments by supposed fans on said photos. Comments such as, “they are old, but at least they are back!” and “They look too old for this. I believe this movie will suck, but i will still see it.” were common. When release day arrived on November 14th, I saw the film at 8:20 p.m., with my mother. I had attempted to wait in line for popcorn but the line was too long and I could not miss a millisecond of this film. So I ran from the line, sat down, and watched as the Universal Pictures intro hit the screen. An indescribable, excited feeling hit me all over. I assumed the worst but hoped for the best.
I was pleasantly surprised the film was that good, though not amazing. I left satisfied enough. I believe the Farrelly brothers did a decent job creating an addition to a story that was 20 years old with the same main cast members. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels were fantastic at bringing back their characters’ humor and energy. The original movie undoubtedly provides a solid foundation for the plot of the sequel but is not a required viewing to enjoy or understand the sequel. I appreciated the references and incorporation of the soundtrack from the original film into the sequel. There is even a shot of the large blue termite ornament that sits along I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island in both films.
The film was clever with humor at moments. Going on an adventure with Harry and Lloyd was fun, as always, but became a bit stale and at points there was a feeling of forced or asinine humor to fill some void. There was a large volume of bathroom jokes and a bit of partial nudity which was unsurprising. The film was not risky, entirely creative, or a completely necessary addition, but it was a fun sort of “update” for fans of the original Dumb and Dumber.
The creators knew they were taking a gamble with the film, considering the many sequels that have failed in the history of films. There were many questions about whether this film could largely succeed during production and, ultimately, it did well. Dumb and Dumber To topped the box office charts, earning $38.1 million the first weekend it was released nationally. This is more than the original film made in 1994. Nostalgia and escapism won that weekend, hands down.
I just hope that if the Farrelly brothers make any sort of spin-off of Dumb and Dumber again, it is about Billy the Blind Kid raising birds and nothing else.
