Robby Tavernier
Lodge
APLAC
12 February 2012
Dumb and Dumber Movie Review
When people watch a comedy movie, they do so to laugh. A good comedy is one that can make anyone laugh, either through simple, blunt jokes or more involved, complex ones. The jokes should apply to many people, and generally be found funny by everyone that witnesses and understands them. Dumb and Dumber (1994) is able to effectively make audiences laugh with a variety of jokes that apply to young and old, male and female, dumb and, well, dumber.
Dumb and Dumber, directed by Peter Farrelly, is loaded with laughs from start to finish (“Dumb and Dumber”). Audiences are laughing right off the bat as Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) are too dumb to get out of their own ways (“Dumb and Dumber”). When Harry, working as a limo driver, sees the beautiful Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly) forget her suitcase, he takes it upon himself to return it to her in Aspen, Colorado. He brings along his friend Harry and they embark on a hilarious journey to return Mary’s luggage. However, they are not the only ones with a vested interest in the suitcase, as it is filled with money and a pair of criminals is hot on their tail. When they get to Aspen they both proceed to fall in love with Ms. Swanson, and they compete with each other for her affection. Whether or not one of the idiots is able to win her heart is up for you to discover by viewing the movie, but you will be laughing the entire way.
Dumb and Dumber makes the viewer laugh in many ways, but it relies heavily on simple, dry humor. One liners such as, “We got no food, no jobs... our PETS' HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!” give the audience an instant laugh because of the ridiculousness of the situation in the movie (“Dumb and Dumber-Memorable Quotes”). People can’t help but chuckle at Lloyd and Harry’s extreme stupidity. When Lloyd trades in the duo’s van for a moped, Harry responds with, “Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself” (“Dumb and Dumber-Memorable Quotes”). Easy to understand jokes such as these can get an audience laughing quickly, and leave them waiting for more. More jokes are quickly delivered, leaving the audience no time to recover from the previous round of laughing. While Lloyd and Harry are navigating their way to Aspen, Harry reveals his severe lack of intelligence with the remark, “According to the map we've only gone 4 inches” (“Dumb and Dumber-Memorable Quotes”). If stupidity and laughter are what you are looking for, Dumb and Dumber will not disappoint.
If simple one liners are not your cup of tea, Dumb and Dumber may still have the laughs you are looking for. It has many more involved jokes that some people may not get, but that are hilarious to those that do get them. At one point, Lloyd and Harry are discussing a classier approach to dating at a party. After Harry points out an attractive woman, Lloyd responds with, “I'd like to eat her liver with some fava beans and a nice bottle of Chianti” (“Dumb and Dumber-Memorable Quotes”). To a person who doesn’t get it, this just seems like unintelligent blabbering and a wasted opportunity for a joke. However, to someone who has seen Silence of the Lambs, this genre mixing quote could be the funniest line of the movie. The fact that the writers of Dumb and Dumber were able to directly quote the psychological thriller and use the line in a hilarious context is astounding, and that line has the potential within itself to earn Dumb and Dumber a place among the comedy greats.
Dumb and Dumber has the potential to make people of all ages laugh. Through a combination of simple humor and complex jokes coupled with brilliant performances by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, Dumb and Dumber leaves audiences laughing uncontrollably. Poking fun at the unintelligent protagonists is a great way to make viewers feel a bit better about themselves and get them to laugh at the same time.
Works Cited
“Dumb and Dumber.” The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 16 Dec. 1994. Web. 12 February 2012.
“Dumb and Dumber-Memorable Quotes.” The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 16 Dec. 1994. Web. 12 February 2012.
GRTIII, You did a very nice job at explaining how the movie is meant to funny, and the ways in which it is funny. I liked how you explained the different types of humor used and why they were effective. You also mentioned how the different types of jokes are for different audiences. The examples you used from the movie were completely relevant and helped your paragraphs. Overall it was a very good argument, however the only thing you didnt do much of was summarize. For anyone that hasn't seen the movie, your points would be easier to understand if you explained the plot in more detail.
ReplyDeleteRobby, I think this movie review was very well written. It clearly defines what a good humor movie should conatin. You then broke it down perfectly on how Dumb and Dumber fits the desciption. You’re claim was clear that you thought Dumb and Dumber was a good comedy movie. The incorporation of plot and quotes into your review was very seamless. If I were looking for a comedy movie to watch and I read this post I would be sure to watch this movie. One thing that this movie review lacks is the description of when the movie was produced, who produced it and the acotrs performances.Other than this review is very good.
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