Am I wrong to give this film a 5-Star Rating for the film itself? No. I don’t think so. I wrestled with myself for all of five seconds, wavering between 4.5 and 5 for this film, and ultimately I’ve decided to stick with my gut, and what I believe to be true — at least for me.
Many will agree, and many will object — and that’s fine — but I whole-heartedly believe that “Dumb and Dumber” is the finest comedy to have ever graced the silver screen. Is it lewd, crude, and inappropriate? Absolutely. It’s the epitome of slap-stick, low-brow, laugh-out-loud humor, but beyond that it boasts — what I think to be — the best comedic performance by Jim Carrey, in addition to the surprisingly hilarious turn by the incredibly talented, Jeff Daniels. Say what you want about the comedic duos and buddy pictures that have come and gone — this one stands alone as the best of them.
Never before has a comedic script been so deceptively witty while being so crude. On the surface, “Dumb and Dumber” appears to be just another 90’s slapstick comedy. But there is so much more hilarity beneath the fart jokes and the immature banter. As I continue to grow with the film, I frequently find myself coming back to it, laughing just as hard as I did in theaters, discovering a new comedic element — thanks to the beautifully nuanced comedic delivery by Daniels or the over-the-top idiocy of Carrey’s “Lloyd.” It’s easy to miss the subtle and masterful comedic writing amidst the gut-busting laughs the film provides, and as such, a second/third/fourth viewing is highly recommended.
For these reasons, and many others, I believe that “Dumb and Dumber” is one of the best examples of comedic film ever committed to film. As you might imagine, I could go on forever about this film, but I won’t because my words will do little to entertain, and inform. All of that is best left to a viewing of this now-classic picture.
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