We Waited 20 Years For "Dumb And Dumber To" ?

Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle,

Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly

The Story:

Harry (Daniels) and Lloyd (Carrey) return after 20 years. It seems that Harry needs a transplant or he will die, but luckily he had a daughter about 20 years earlier that he is just now finding out about, so hopefully she will be a match.  The boys set off on a road trip filled with hijinks and cases of mistaken identity.

There's a joke in the film about how waiting 20 years for the punchline is the great payoff to a joke.

So was this sequel, often mentioned, never happened, really worth the weight?

Meh.

Hard to say.

I have to admit, I haven't seen the original since it first came out, so I have no idea how well it has aged.  I do remember laughing, hysterically in a few spots, throughout that film.

This one tries to recapture and repeat the magic, but a lot of the gags have been there, done that in the two decades since we first met this duo.

The Farrelly Brothers infuse the film with their signature touch of crude/touch of heart filmmaking, and that helps keep the movie moving along.

Carrey and Daniels easily revive their roles, and it's hard to not imagine "what if?" they had simply done this a decade earlier.  This could be the final act of a trilogy instead with a film every 10 years.

Rob Riggle is a welcome addition to the film as the heavy, and he is quickly turning into one of those character actors that shows up in many of this screwball comedies and makes the film that much better, at least when he's on screen.

While this film is worth a viewing, at least for the sake of nostalgia, if you didn't like the first one, I doubt there is anything here that would change your mind.

Final Grade: C+

Time For A Change... "Batman Forever"

Batman Forever (1995)

Rated PG-13 for language/violence

Starring: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell

Directed by Joel Schumacher

The Story:

Batman (Kilmer) is faced with a two-pronged attack from Two Face (Jones) who believes Batman caused the courtroom accident that scarred his face, and the Riddler (Carrey) who used to work for Wayne and has invented a device that can steal information from the mind.  With the death of Dick Grayson's (O'Donnell) parents at the hands of Two Face, he becomes a ward of Bruce Wayne, and will attempt to take his place fighting crime alongside Batman. 

Quite a bit to jam pack into this tale!

And if that wasn't enough, add Nicole Kidman in as a love interest, and you have a bloated mess of a film.

This was the first entry in the Bat-chise that I bothered with.

So again, I don't remember if it was Keaton or Burton that kept me away, but with both gone, I came aboard.

Bored.

It was okay for its time.

Again, no rose-colored glasses from this guy, I actually have memories of seeing (and owning!) this one on VHS.

Egads.

Who was the bigger ham, Carrey or Jones?

O'Donnell is close to insufferable most of the time as Robin.

Kilmer does the best he can with the role and apparently would have been back for a sequel except for scheduling conflicts.

Apparently DC has little qualms about recasting the star of their franchise...

The cheese factor was amped up... the cast was amped up.

There was nowhere for this franchise to go...

But down!

Final Grade:  C- maybe a C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nearly 20 years have passed since I last saw this one.  I would assume a similar, or longer time, will pass before I do this again.

Looking For An Over-The-Top Comic Book Movie? "Kick-Ass 2"

Kick-Ass 2
Rated R for Language and Violence

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Donald Faison, Morris Chestnut

Directed by Jeff Wadlow

The Story:

Inspired by the heroics of Kick-Ass (Taylor-Johnson) other citizens are now donning costumes to make a difference on the streets.  They create a group and invite Kick-Ass to join.  Hit-Girl (Moretz) is being raised by her guardian (Chestnut) and is finding a hard time adjusting to life as a vigilante being watched by an overprotective cop.  Meanwhile, The Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse) is plotting his revenge with a new name and a band of thugs all his own.  Soon all the stories will overlap, and things will hit the fan!

The adaptation of the Graphic Novel by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. continues!

The first Kick-Ass film was okay.

Over-the-top violence with some funny dialogue and characterization sprinkled throughout.

If you liked the first one, you'll like the sequel.

I Did It For The Money!

Jim Carrey is amazingly subdued as Colonel Stars and Stripes.

I'm not sure what his beef with the movie was, he knew how violent the first one was, and I'm sure he read the script for this one...

So it just struck me as odd when he refused to promote the film.

Ah well, but to each their own.

The Star Of The Show

Moretz is the real star of the franchise thus far and she should have a bright career in Hollywood as she's got the charisma to keep the audience glued to the screen when she's on.

Final Grade: B-/C+ range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Sorry, I'll stick with the Marvel movies, I can enjoy those with my kids.

It May Not Live Up to the Adjective, But "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is Far From a Dud

Abracadabra!

The Story:

Popular Vegas Magicians Burt (Stevel Carell) and his partner Anton (Steve Buscemi) have enjoyed a decade at the top working for Doug Munny (James Gandolfini).  But they haven't changed their act in years, and a popular new street magician (Jim Carrey) is usurping Burt's popularity.  Soon, Burt finds himself dirt poor and alone.  However, getting back to his magic roots with a chance meeting with his idol (Alan Arkin) may give Burt a new lease on life.

The best thing about movies that bomb at the box office, is the reviews are so scathingly bad, you can't help but have the bar lowered when you watch it, that more times than not, the movie is going to way overachieve in every conceivable way.

Want proof?
Look no further than this film.

Is it as funny as the last time Carell and Carrey teamed up (Bruce Almighty)? Nope.  This one isn't as well written, but there are plenty of amusing gags sprinkled throughout the film.

The magic tricks are actually pretty cool, but then I've always been a fan of sleight of hand.

I also like that Burt and Anton performed the old-fashioned tricks, while Carrey tackled the edgy tricks that have become popular.  I know which one I prefer to see, and it works for this film as well.

Burt even gets a love interest, Jane (Olivia Wilde) which plays up the usual comic romance of boy meets girl, girl can't stand the guy, the two end up together eventually.

So no, it's not as bad as you may have feared.

It's a perfect background movie for our house... something you can play in the background that's agreeable, but doesn't demand your attention if you're working on a project of have the need to leave the room for food or a bathroom break.


And no, it doesn't even come close to being one of the worst movies of the year.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd watch it again, sure.  If the price is right, I'd add it to the library.