Directors: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, Chri Diamantopoulos, Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, Larry David
Running Time: 88 minutes
Certificate: PG
Extras: Deleted/Extended Scene’s, Trailer, Making Of The Three Stooges, Compilation Movie Clips
In the late 1990s and early 2000s the Farrelly brothers could be counted on for solid, laugh-out-loud and gross-out comedy. Hits DUMB & DUMBER (1994), THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998) and ME, MYSELF & IRENE (2000) mixed heart, profanity and disgust in equal and enjoyable measure. The comedy midas touch may have deserted them in recent years – documentary THE LOST SON OF HAVANA (2009) was a welcome break – but that didn’t stop them taking on comedy heroes THE THREE STOOGES (2012) available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
Larry (Hayes), Moe (Diamantopoulos) and Curly (Sasso) arrive as toddlers at the Sisters Of Mercy Orphanage. Welcomed with open arms by Mother Superior (Lynch – GLEE) the trio’s antics soon cause havoc in the congregation, particularly for Sister Mary-Mengele (David – CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM). The trio grow up at the orphanage with the other children into their thirties until Monsignor Ratliffe (Bryan Doyle-Murray) advises Mother Superior the orphanage will close in 30 days unless $830,000 is found. Horrified, The Stooges set off to raise the money and save their home.
Those familiar with THE THREE STOOGES original high jinx will undoubtedly find much to disparage about this latest incarnation, but it’s not all bad. Each of the leads works tirelessly with the clichéd and tired script with ‘madcap’ prat-falls and over-the-top violence synonymous with The Stooges, as they move from one morally dubious situation to the other. Indeed, it appears some 1960s values have somehow found themselves in 2012, fortunately they don’t outstay their very short welcome. But then, this wouldn’t be the Farrelly’s if boundaries weren’t pushed a little.
THE THREE STOOGES is passable comedy that won’t please everybody but is hard to dislike. It has enthusiastic performances, the right message and the kind of heart-warming finale to make the toughest critic smile. And it’s much better than MOVIE 43.
Extras: The short clip show and making of are enjoyable enough but the package is very limited.
THE THREE STOOGES is available on DVD and Blu-ray now
Luke Ryan Baldock
Feb 20, 2013 at 4:36 pm
One of my favourite films of last year. Had me laughing constantly and the performances by the three main actors were spot on.