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It’s been 20 years since Dumb and Dumber was released, launching the directorial career for the Farrelly Brothers (which includes There’s Something About Mary), introducing audiences to Jeff Daniels’ comedic side, and cementing Jim Carrey’s extremely successful year following The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Since its release, comedy films have changed their tone and style quite drastically. Where physical comedy was more of the standard during the ’90s, contemporary comedies have moved more towards smarter jokes mixed with a heightened sense of raunchy debauchery. Simply put, comedies have gotten both smarter and sexier.
With this first trailer for the Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, you can see how the Farrelly Brothers have attempted to adapt their style of comedy to befit modern humor, mixing in Carrey’s knack for over-exaggerated comedy with Daniels’ out of character naivety with a more overtly-sexual tone. It’s a weird mix of anchronistic comedy and modern day stylings, yet it’s hard to ignore the charm that Harry (Daniels) and Lloyd (Carrey) bring to the screen. Narratively, the film takes place 20 years after Dumb and Dumber in which Harry and Lloyd set out to find Harry’s daughter whom he never realized he had due to ignoring a letter postmarked 1991.
Both Carrey and Daniels have established successful careers outside of the comedy spectrum, but it’s good to see them return to the classic Dumb and Dumber characters one more time to show that they still have it. But do they really, though, or is this all tainted by the film of nostalgia hanging over my eyes? I guess we’ll find out when Dumb and Dumber To comes to theaters November 14th.