Overrated

Rating: 5/10 (17 January 2007)

I never thought this was one of the funniest comedies ever, but I found the movie a lot funnier when I was a kid. The Farrelly Brothers are talented writer/directors who have made several funny flicks like "Kingpin," "There's Something About Mary" and "Stuck on You." Though "Dumb and Dumber" is probably second to "Mary" as far as popularity goes, I think it's one of their lesser flicks. The Farrellys are partially to blame, but I place most of the blame on Jim Carrey. Whoever decided this moron should be paid $25 million a movie should be shot in the head. Jeff Daniels, though less experienced in comedy, gives a much performance in my opinion. Unlike Carrey, he doesn't use the over-the-top, anything-for-a-laugh approach. Instead, he's more concerned with being true to the character. Why does Carrey have to do some goofy eye movement or vocal intonation with every line of dialogue he utters? I always say that the rule of comedy is to act normal in ridiculous situations. In Carrey's case, he prefers to act ridiculous in ridiculous situations. How anyone over the age of 10 can laugh uproariously at a fool like him is beyond me. The film contains its share of funny gags (like the famous toilet scene), but most of them are disgusting or stupid or a mixture of both. One of the most annoying scenes is one where Carrey and Daniels both eat these hot chili peppers. Their mouths start burning, so they squirt ketchup and mustard all over the place, trying to get some into their mouths. And of course, there are other gag-inducing moments, like a man hocking a loogie into someone's burger. I suggest that if you're over the age of 10 and not a sucker for Carrey's incessant mugging, you stay away from this flick. It's simply another overrated comedy.