There is one thing that left me completely flabbergasted even before I'd watched an inch of footage from this sequel, and that's the fact that the original is 20 years old. Sorrry, but where did those two decades go? Not very far if you're names are Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne.
The beauty of this concept is that you could dip into any time in the lives of these two dumb dudes and nothing will have changed because, well, there's simply no enlightening these guys. The original film was part of a multi-movie launch pad that made Jim Carrey one of Hollywood's biggest breakout stars of the 1990s, while Jeff Daniels had already made a huge impression almost a decade earlier in Woody Allen's Purple Rose of Cairo.
For better or worse (or dumber and dumber) they'll both be remember primarily for playing this idiotic duo, and as we meet up with them again, Harry's in need of a kidney while Lloyd's in a comatose state. The latter's condition is the easier one to resolve as the pair embark on a road trip to find the daughter Harry never knew he had so he can get a new kidney.
Along the way there are plenty of comedic thrills and spills, as well as at least two 'I can't believe they did that!' gross-out scenes, typical of the Farrelly Brothers, in what is the directorial team's first-ever sequel.
Okay, it's not as much fun as the original, but if you liked Dumb and Dumber – and many millions did – then you'll know exactly what to expect, and should enjoy every potty-mouthed minute
It was also good to see Kathleen Turner back in front of a camera, this time as Fraida Felcher, Harry’s ex-girlfriend and the key to finding his long-lost daughter.
John Byrne
