Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd Movie Review:


It’s the first day of High School in 1986 and after been home tutored by his Mom (Rogers), Harry (Richardson) is looking forward to his first day with other people. Lloyd (Olsen) actually lives at the school with his Janitor father (Guzmán) and is the butt of every bully’s joke but he is too dumb to realise. The two bump into each other, literally, and instantly become best friends.

Ever wondered how Dumb and Dumber’s Harry and Lloyd met? Well this movie gives you the chance to find out but doesn’t really do anything with it.

Realising that they could never afford to get the Farrelly Brothers, Jim Carrey or Jeff Daniels to return, the filmmakers behind the film came up with the premise of setting the movie in the 1980s when the pair first met. This is an interesting notion with a lot of potential, it is just a shame that it is never realised. The script is appalling. The plot is flimsy and far too slight but the main problem is that all the main gags are rehashes of the original movie. Harry has toilet troubles again, the two of them fall for the same girl, Lloyd does something so stupid he redeems himself completely in Harry’s eyes and they even turn down the chance to get it on with some hot girls. The rest of the plot is inconsequential but deals with the school principle, played by a very subdued Eugene Levy, trying to embezzle money from the school board by having a special needs class, heading by Harry and Lloyd.

The real shame is that Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen do an excellent job of creating the young Harry and Lloyd. They really do capture the characters superbly, especially Olsen, it is a real shame that the script doesn’t live up to their performances.

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry met Lloyd is a wasted opportunity that would have been a complete dog if it weren’t for the enthusiasm of the two leads. That Farrelly Brothers touch of the gross is complete missing and its main crime is that is only ever manages to raise a smile, never mind make you laugh out loud. The title really should Dumb and Dumberer: The people who thought this would be a good idea.

Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

THE USHER

 

Stupid is as Stupid Does

The prequel to the blockbuster comedy "Dumb and Dumber" struggles to deliver any laughs

In 1994, "Dumb and Dumber" became the year's most successful comedy. The film solidified Jim Carrey as a star and started the gross-out humor careers of the Farrelly brothers.

Now, the horrible prequel "Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd" attempts to capture the same laughs as the predecessor, but it falls flat on its face.

Judging by the title of the film, one comes to the notion that the film does not have a brain and it should not be taken very seriously. The problem is not the film being stupid, but it is just not funny.

The story retraces back to when the not-so bright duo of Harry (Derek Richardson) and Lloyd (Eric Christian Olsen) from the first film meet in high school during the 80's. Their first encounter even explains the creation of Lloyd's most distinguishable feature. After quickly being picked on and accomplishing acts of complete stupidity, the school's corrupt Principal Collins (Eugene Levy) devises a plan to make money off of the two. He starts a special needs class with Harry and Lloyd being its first members and his lunch lady girlfriend (Cheri Oteri) as the teacher. The class is set up so that Collins can receive a $100,000 special needs grant and he and the lunch lady can take off to Hawaii. It is not the first time that Collins has been in connection with fraud. In steps Jessica (Rachel Nichols), who is the school's beautiful journalist that suspects that the principal is up to something. She begins questioning Harry and Lloyd about Collin's actions, but of course both are oblivious to information that she seeks.

This prequel struggles for laughs with a character premise that is already established from the first film. There is no Jim Carrey or Jeff Daniels this time around; instead there are two unknown actors in the roles of Harry and Lloyd. Eric Christian Olsen has a long rubber face and the body language of Carrey's Lloyd. On the other hand, Derek Richardson's Harry is absolutely nothing in retrospect to Jeff Daniels' early portrayal of Harry. It has been expressed that director Troy Miller did not want the actors to mirror Carrey or Daniels; they ultimately try, but fail. Miller also co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Brener, which tries to recycle elements of the first film. Of course the two guys break up over the female lead and then get back together. Harry even has a disaster of problems in another bathroom like in the first film.

Outside of Olsen and Richardson, the very talented Eugene Levy is stale as the corrupt Principal Collins. It is hard to figure out how Levy was so good in the recent comedy, "A Mighty Wind," and so lame in this film. The answer is he had better material with "A Mighty Wind," which he co-wrote as well. Levy should bounce back later this summer in his return to the famous role as Jim's Dad in "American Wedding," the third film of the "American Pie" franchise.

"Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd" is not a film that one expects to be Oscar material; it is just an attempt at goofy laughs. This comedy is nowhere near the vicinity of its predecessor or many other comedies that have opened this summer.

Grade: D-

06/14/03

Joseph Tucker

If you call this movie an exercise in stupidity, is that a pan or a praise?

The sequel to the 1994 comedy "Dumb & Dumber", finds the hapless duo of Harry and Lloyd (originally played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels) back in the 1980s and attending high school. Harry (Derek Richardson) is a momma's boy who doesn't know what to do with his imaginary friend Captain Rob on his first day of school. Kindred spirit Lloyd (Eric Christian Olsen) lives with his janitor dad (Luis Guzman) underneath the high school, which Lloyd is about to join. When Harry meets Lloyd they find that they have something in common, they're special. Ego-driven Principal Collins (Eugene Levy) concocts a plan to make a special education class for his new delinquents and use the extra money generated by the program for an early retirement plan. Popular girl and aspiring reporter Jessica Matthews (Rachel Nichols) decides to help the hapless duo when she suspects Collins of creating a scam.

As sequels go, "Dumb 2" (what I will always remember it as) reminded me a lot of those countless "Meatballs" sequels. There is always some figure of authority who wants to get filthy stinkin' rich by taking advantage of the film's heroes. Come on, even Scooby Doo knew about these kinds of plots.

The jokes and gross-out gags are quite tame compared to the original film or any of the gross-out comedies that has come after. The whole film felt overtly flat and retread. It only lasts 90 minutes but it feels like an eternity.

I do have to hand it to the casting people. The two hapless nut-jobs they picked to play the film's central characters are great look-a-likes. But even Vegas has Elvis look-a-likes but that doesn't mean they have what Elvis had.

I also have to hand it to newcomer Rachel Nichols. She does seem to have something but this project wasn't a great career move. Here's to hoping she doesn't become another Marley Shelton, another good actress who is in the most awful of projects.

It is hard to complain about a film called "Dumb and Dumber" because the film doesn't really claim to live up to anything. But when you make a sequel to something dumb it is just desperation at best.

(1 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

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