The famous comedy since its release back in 1994 was immediately recognized as a cult. This was facilitated by its success in all respects - from a warm welcome and a full payback budget. Twenty years later, the second part of the picture is released. We will try to understand the features of the sequel and its conflicting reviews in this article.
The end is only the beginning
To immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the film, you need to forget about your thoughts and not go into the details of plot twists. Before us is a comedy of pure water, the standard of many Hollywood projects, from the viewing of which you can get real pleasure. So they talked about the first part. In it, the best friends Lloyd and Harry embark on a journey across the country in search of the only woman they love, falling into unimaginable comic situations. Many certainly noted the creative period of Jim Carrey, which was also determined by the release of the film “Mask” in the same year. “Dumb and Dumber” was recognized as a cult comedy, with an easy presentation of an unobtrusive story, which took its rightful place in the treasury of paintings that cheer up. Therefore, the predictions of the audience that the film “Dumb and Dumber 2” will someday be made quite logical. Their expectations were fully met. However, the birth lasted for two decades.
Why is this necessary?
An attempt not to forget the main characters was the release of the movie "Dumb and Dumber: When Harry Met Lloyd." The roles were performed by young actors Eric Christian Olsen and Derek Richardson, and the picture failed at the box office. For the brothers Peter and Bobby Farrelli, the original comedy was one of the first directorial works. And very successful. During their career, they have made many good films, mainly comedic, with the inherent use of farce and rock music. The idea of the film “Dumb and Dumber 2” arose much later than the first part. Then the directors took up new projects, dreaming that they would have the same deafening success. The brothers started talking seriously about returning to the sequel in 2011, completing the shooting of “Celibacy Week”. The difficulty was obtaining consent for the participation of central actors. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels did not need to find fame by that time, and then, they were already fifty, which created certain difficulties when the authors prescribed Harry and Lloyd twenty years later.
Hard return
The first part was set by New Line Cinema. But to continue Farrelli hoped to attract Warner Bros. A large film company refused, and then Universal took up the production of the film “Dumb and Dumber 2”.
Under the leadership of the brothers, filming started in September 2013, as Jim Carrey wrote about on his page on the social network. By the way, the directors had to resort to her help. They could not find the actor who played the role of the blind boy Billy from the first part. And it was only on Facebook that the actor Brady Bloom was offered to play in the sequel. It was planned that the sequel will be timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the release of the original. The film was shot in Rhode Island, where Farrelli himself came from, as well as in Atlanta and California.
New idea about old
The script was written by Sean Anders and John Morris, who were involved in the comedies We Are the Millers and The Unbearable Bosses 2. With Jim Carrey, they worked on Mr. Popper Penguins. The Farrelli brothers also took an active part, because as directors they well remembered their characters. Particular attention was paid to what intrigue to put in the movie “Dumb and Dumber 2”. The audience’s reviews were yet to be collected, and no one wanted to end up in failure.
According to the plot of the picture, the finale of the first part is connected with the continuation only by the fact that for twenty years Lloyd has been in a psychiatric hospital. He can't talk. Harry's faithful friend visits him, and once Lloyd admits that all this time he played out his illness! Friends find a postcard addressed to Harry, which says about the pregnancy of his then girlfriend. The card dates back to 1991, therefore, Harry's child has now grown. Friends go on a long journey, and when they find Harry's lost daughter, Lloyd immediately falls in love with her.
“Dumb and Dumber 2”. Feedback on the continuation
Once again, a characteristic feature of Harry and Lloyd is manifested in their intellectual development, which has become the main "chip" of the characters. Through the prism of humor, the creators are considering the existence of such heroes in society. The problems of the development of young people, which Harry and Lloyd appeared for the first time, can also be seen in the film “Dumb and Dumber 2”. The audience’s reviews are largely inclined to believe that, despite the 20-year time difference, Harry and Lloyd have not changed much, and the sequel itself is just as stupid and ridiculous.
Was there a sequel?
In contrast to the good responses, there are those that express a negative attitude towards the film. “Dumb and Dumber 2” promised to result in a legendary sequel, which failed and due to the fact that the predictable jokes were played a million times. While the predecessor became the whole flagship, which opened a new genre of comedies. Now in front of the audience humor below the belt and humor “dressing”, the lack of script and the complete absurdity of what is happening on the screen.
Actors involved
Fans of the first part expected to continue for a number of reasons. One of them was the desire to see the on-screen duet of Lloyd and Harry again in the sequel “Dumb and Dumber 2”. Actors who embodied the central images can no longer be perceived as before. External changes are also obvious - Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels have grown old, although they have made every effort not to focus on this in the frame. Most importantly, they retained the integrity of the images, resorting to jokes and emotions familiar from the time of the original.
One of the strongest comedians, Jim Carrey, has recently been unable to boast of successful roles, but it makes him feel that the actor has retained the energy that millions of viewers have conquered. It remains to express hope that in his filmography there will still be many interesting roles that allow you to show your comedy.
Old story trails
Taking the original as a basis and practically without inventing something grand, the scriptwriters used old methods and recognizable “gags”. The film "Dumb and Dumber 2" largely repeats the storyline of its predecessor. The viewer will again meet the attacker and the blind invalid, Lloyd will transform into a dreaming romance, and not intended for the highway, but the fun transport will become a means of transportation in search of Harry's daughter.
What is the sequel filled with? Constant sweepstakes. Painfully stupid, but not without humor. Confirming this with a number of innovations - the Vetroduy cat and the hearing aid, which caused a lot of trouble, a gas attack in the hearse and slightly offensive humor below the belt with the participation of an old woman. In addition, a special genre style - road movie, is extremely rare and gaining popularity. Of course, 20-year-old jokes mixed with the modern “Scary Movie” and a new opportunity to see Jim Carrey in a stagnant ampoule.
Can luck happen again?
For Jim Carrey, comedy was the second time that he plays one character. So it was with the Ace Ventura pet advocate. And yet, according to viewers, this does not detract from his participation (especially after a long break), as well as attempts by the Farrelli brothers to enter the same river twice. “Dumb and Dumber 2” (reviews of the film is proof of that) is an unsuccessful attempt to restore the legacy of the original part, using its main advantages, appreciated in the mid-90s. Now the changes have affected the American humor and the audience, because the idea to go along the path laid twenty years ago turned out to be a failure.
Back from everyday life, forward to frivolity!
The success of the sequel was controversial. Despite the fact that the declared budget paid off four times, world ratings indicate low ratings from critics. Nevertheless, for many, the comedy “Dumb and Dumber 2” has become a long-awaited memory of childhood, nostalgia for the past, when unreasonable humor made you ride with laughter. Resourceful and inventive, he gives birth to a lot of fun in almost every episode. No wonder the journey of the characters turns into one big adventure.
For all its stupidity, the picture is filled with positive, giving an excellent positive attitude. And although the current humor is far from the same, the best traditions of the genre are preserved in it. Undoubtedly, the comedy “Dumb and Dumber 2”, actors and roles, inherent in dumb situations and an ongoing stream of jokes can leave a long aftertaste. Explaining this with the simple desire of the creators to remind the viewer of past times, more and more erased from memory.