Dumb and Dumberer had me laughing very hard for about fifteen minutes. It’s tragic that the other eighty-five percent of the film couldn’t have been the same way. While it does offer its fair share of entertainment, when Dumb and Dumberer is flat, it’s painfully so. Clichéd gags and recycled humor are what kill it, and make it one of the worst films of the entire year. Eric Christian Olsen and Derek Richardson, the two no-name leads of Dumb and Dumberer, do incredible impressions of Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels, the stars of the original movie. As impersonators, these two show that this prequel could’ve been better than the mediocre Dumb and Dumber. Where’s a good script when you need one? Obviously not here.

      Even after reading the dreadful reviews for Dumb and Dumberer, I decided to give it a shot. With an original that was very funny, but flawed; I figured that this prequel might be just as funny and a bit better assembled, making the ideal comedy. I was very, very wrong. Not only is the entire picture a mess, but it’s very rarely amusing. Fifteen minutes of good entertainment out of a movie that lasts an hour and a half is not nearly enough. What’s worse is that the material that I laughed at wasn’t even original. I knew that something had to be wrong when I chucked at a scene where a guy was feeding lines to his friend to say to his “girlfriend” on their “date” through the window of her house, but then begins screaming at a neighborhood dog, while his dumb friend still repeats every word that comes out of his mouth, no matter how demented it was. How many times have we seen that same scene before? On another occasion, the two main characters begin drenching everything, everywhere with gas, at a min-mart/gas station, then another character lights a cigarette and everything explodes (Zoolander, anyone?). Usually, a film has to be pretty darn good for me to be able to laugh at it, but Dumb and Dumberer was a different story. I was so desperate for something to enjoy, I even pretended to be entertained sometimes. And, the scary thing is, at those times, I was. The script is, literally, that bad.

     The performances, though, are quite comedic—and I didn’t have to actually force myself to be able to laugh at them. The best comes from Olsen, who does the best impression of Carey’s Lloyd I’ve seen in my entire life. He is very charismatic, and carries most of the film. His co-star Richardson isn’t as funny, but he delivers his fair share of laughs. I was quite surprised that veteran Eugene Levy was overshadowed by these two youngsters, which was in a way, a little embarrassing. The actors in Dumb and Dumberer are what make the movie occasionally comical. But, they’re only human, and can’t save the entire movie from being taken over by such a dreadful screenplay.

     What seemed like it would be a promising prequel, Dumb and Dumberer falls flat, and currently sits as one of the worst movies of the year. Even though it’s not all bad, and I laughed at it, naturally, a couple of times; this film doesn’t have enough rewarding material to get a recommendation (or even an average grade). The typical comedy usually offers a few care-free laughs, with no pain along the way. Dumb and Dumberer features those care-free laughs, but is heavy on the pain. This film will be an ideal watch when it’s on HBO, as a background for chores. But, until then—don’t even think about going to it, or even attending a theatre that’s playing it. This is trashy cinema in full gear. But, hey, at least it’s not nearly as bad as the unbearably torturous other recent release, Bruce Almighty.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews

 

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