Dumb and Dumber To

If you think its infantile for Jim Carrey, 52, and Jeff Daniels, 59, to make a sequel to to the fabulously flatulent farce they made 20 years ago, youd be right. I wouldnt want it any other way. The bad news isnt that Carrey and Daniels got old, its that the jokes did. The spirit is still willing in Peter and Bobby Farrelly, the original writer-directors, but the sagging flesh is weak from prolonged repetition.

We once roared with laughter when Daniels, as Harry Dunne, suffered an epic bout of the shits. And who can forget Carrey, as Lloyd Christmas, inflicting punishment by hot pepper? This time we find out that Lloyd has been institutionalized, though Harry visits to change his diapers. The new quest for these two Dumb Quixotes is to leave home (Providence, Rhode Island) and find the fruit of Harrys loom, a daughter (Rachel Melvin) Harry never knew existed but who might gift Lloyd with a needed kidney.

Presumably, the Farrelly combo of sentiment and sleaze will never die. Because so many gags fall flat, you may treasure the ones that do. Why? Out of respect for the way Carrey and Daniels throw themselves into gross stupidity. Or maybe affection for the Farrellys in the heyday of Theres Something About Mary,Kingpin and the first Dumb and Dumber. Time can be cruel, especially to sequels.