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Having finally come to terms with the fact Lloyd, played by Jim Carrey, had been pulling his leg for 20 years; Harry (Jeff Daniels) has some news of his own – solemnly declaring his need for a new kidney. Knowing he needs to find a relative – he’s shocked to discover that his adopted, Asian parents are not blood related, but is then greeted by the revelation that he has a long-lost daughter, Penny (Rachel Melvin). So when tracking down the mother, Fraida (Kathleen Turner), the pair learn of her location, and so set off on a road trip to find, and then persuade, the young woman to give up one of her organs for a man she’s never met.
With a scattergun approach to jokes, the unrelenting nature of this picture ensures that, though few and far between, there are a handful of hilarious, indelible jokes in this title. The frustrating part is, you’ve got to work your way through a fair few substandard ones to get to them. Part of the charm, however, is the protagonist’s age. In the initial endeavour, they’re young, dumb and reckless. But in this sequel, they’re old enough to know better, and in some regards, their middle age is somewhat endearing, as it makes them seem even more pathetic than ever were. It does take a while to get your head around seeing these two actors revisit these roles though, as since Dumb and Dumber they’ve both taken their fair share of sincere, dramatic roles and this does now seem a little beneath them. Though that being said, witnessing Jim Carrey act like, well, Jim Carrey again, is incomprehensibly satisfying.
Where directing duo, Bobby and Peter Farrelly, must be commended, is how similar in tone and spirit this sequel is to the first. Though such a sentiment can be detrimental too, as it leaves this picture free of originality, bringing little new to the franchise. But on the other hand, remaining similar to the first and playing up to conventionality in that regard, is what the fans will want, and adhering to them is the most integral aim. It leaves the filmmakers between a rock and a hard place, because if too similar it’s deemed superfluous, whereas if it’s wildly incomparable, it’s considered a failure. Sadly, the only resolution to this issue (and in spite of the brief moments of hilarity that ensure) is to not tread over such cherished ground in the first place.
Nonetheless, Dumb and Dumber To has its heart in the right place, and while it may be vacuous, inane and without any real point – it’s amiable and benevolent, and in that regards, a true reflection of our two protagonists. So yes, this sequel may well be one of the stupidest, asinine and nonsensical films you’ll ever see, but had it not been any of those things, it would have been an immense disappointment.