Scemo & + scemo 2

(Originally posted as a comment to a site's review)

(I'm glad that many people were able to find enjoyment in this, this comment isn't intended to cause any judging or disrespect on your experience watching this. Sincerely glad it brought you laughter and joy)

Not to take the first film too serious, but it did have heart. Lloyd's speech at the beginning of the first one, it felt sincere. There was a great sense of desperation in his lonely hopes of having more friends.

As the first film goes on, it's amusing and funny seeing exactly why he and Harry can't have friends ("You don't kill people you don't know, that's the rule." *minutes after meeting Harry and Lloyd, pulls for his gun*), and even getting insight into Lloyd's warped mind of what it could be like to live a more active social life (joking with friends by the fireplace, pleasant dinner with lovely girlfriend, chomping on someone's nuts and ripping out a chef's heart....)

the first film literally starts on Hope Street.

Best of all, I love that at the end of everything, Harry and Lloyd still at least have each other.

No, it wasn't a big quality film, it was largely a string of dumb jokes. But if you pay enough attention, you'll find there's fantastic warmth and even a story going on (outside of what seems to be the main point of returning a briefcase), both of which is severely missing in the latest film.

I did laugh a bit throughout. But, Carrey and Daniels were more of glorified cartoon parodies rather the two characters we saw 20 years ago. The entire world itself felt like a glorified cartoon parody with loose sight of the first film.

Anyone needing a laugh, the film may deliver, but your old pals Harry and Lloyd, and the world you were acquainted with 20 years ago, won't be there.

Reading the negative reviews really affected me as I went to see this movie, and yes you can right away tell Carry and Daniels are of course not their younger selves, and yeah yeah the whole premise of the film looks forced, I know - but after watching I think it's not half as forced as other US-made comedies and their plastic "jokes".

This is because the movie succeeds(a bit) in bringing back the lighthearted spirit of the 90's, so even when half the jokes don't work, it's never overbearing, and has many good, fun ideas! It's just that the writing of these ideas and the plot, the characters growth, connection between characters- all seem to have been done in a very lazy or rushed way. (for example, the villain's role is a classic idea but is too short for us to care about)

Now, that's kinda saddening and annoying because when you look at the jokes that *do* make you laugh, you get the feeling that maybe- just maybe- if these guys consciously decided to make a better a movie, they could have done so!! They just didn't put enough time and effort. And this is what annoys people so much. I get that. Maybe it's the nature of being complacent - everyone in this film don't have the drive and fears they had 20 years ago. No one's success is hanging in the balance etc- Too bad! There's obviously some potential here - some of that magic that guys like Jim Carry take wherever they go. It's just not utilized well !!

Well, I was pretty excited to see this one, knowing that no matter how bad it might turn out to be, these two still would never fail at making you laugh, now it's not as good as the first, but it sure does make you laugh, it's just unbelievable how dumb these two are, time will never heal how stupid they are, and they sure won't be getting better any time soon, they're still as dumb, still funny, and still as entertaining as they were in the first, but I don't know if it's just me or the fact that the first was just too good to beat, I was honestly expecting this one to be even more fun, but it wasn't, the first was better, but this one wasn't bad at all, I would go back to watch it again with a friend if I was asked to, you wouldn't get bored watching this, as everything these two do is a complete mess, it's worth the watch, and definitely worth the ticket.

Picture this: It's 20 years ago and you are at a party with stale pizza and warm beer. You plan on leaving early, then the life of the party shows up and makes it the most memorable party you ever went to.

20 years later, you plan a reunion and bring better pizza, a cooler filled with beer and invite everyone to the same place again. The same jokes are told and everyone leaves early.

That is what Dumb and Dumber is. I loved the first one so much that I am still willing to be happy with the reunion for old time sake.

It seems like all the variables were in place, and everyone just kept waiting for magic to happen. It seems like it was filmed well enough, and everyone thought they would fix it in post. Then in the edit room, everyone figured, "Well they shot it how they want it." and left it long and loose. It was very paint by numbers, and everyone followed the script. In a movie where the script was just there simply as a framework to be expanded upon. The timing is off and there is no punch.

This may be what happens when modern studio execs watch too many dailies and start influencing the editing process too much, and take the funny away from the people they paid to be funny. Next time, light the fire cracker and walk away. Let the experts be experts.

I believe it was Jeff Daniels who said that the directors of Dumb and Dumber were "guessing" about what would be funny the first time, but "now they know." If that is the case, they definitely have a fair amount of arrogance and narcissism, because this film is vastly inferior to the original. What started as honest-to-goodness stupidity has given way to a mean-spirited attempt to be funny. Harry and Lloyd are no longer running on their own redundant behaviour alone; they're using their naïveté to hurt others and to be lewd and crude, which is never what the original film was. This movie has its comedic moments, but it ultimately falls flat, trying too hard in some areas and not hard enough where it truly matters.