Carrey-d away....

Rating: 2/10 (12 September 1999)

Did you ever get the feeling that sometimes an actor is so full of himself that he forgets the movie and kind of goes off on his own tangent, never to return?
That's what I got from "Dumb and Dumber", which basically features Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, two men who are good actors and have been in some of may favorite movies, acting like complete idiots and somehow never getting institutionalized for their actions.
I know, I know.... There are people who love this movie and think that Carrey can do no wrong and since bodily function humor is the soup du jour (so to speak), "Dumb" is their cup of tea (so to speak again).
But in spite of some very inspired moments (an escalating fight in the snow between Daniels and Holly, the fantasy restaurant fight, the unfortunate demise of the hitman, the parakeet), there are more moments of just downright stupidity than anything else.
And the scenes with the cop (you know the one) and the out-of-order toilet just are put there, I think, to make ones jaw drop at how far movies will go nowadays. There's no real humor in what's going on and, in spite of their big following as "the biggest laugh scenes of all time", they kind of fall flat. They happen then they're gone.
As far as Carrey and Daniels, they basically just play two guys who act stupid and fail to use common sense. No character traits, just stupidity. But as they say, give the people what they want....
As we speak, there is a sequel in the works by the guys that created "South Park". Well, I guess they won't have to worry about losing the original's sophistication.
Two stars. I almost forgot Carrey's and Holly's kiss. Now THAT'S funny.