daniel cohen nyuks it up…
Plot: The classic comedy trio of Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), Larry (Sean Hayes), and Curly (Will Sasso), also known as the Three Stooges, is reborn as the three nitwits attempt to raise money in order to save their orphanage.
I respect the comedy legend that is the Three Stooges. It’s not my thing, but I recognize what the original actors did for comedy all those years ago. Sadly, the Three Stooges just doesn’t work in today’s world. Their brand of physical humor has been played out for years and years and years. So when I watch this movie, there is nothing innovative or new, it’s just boring to me. They are truly relics of the past. But I will say this for directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly – they put their heart and soul into this project, and I have to respect them for that.
I also give props to the three actors they got for the leads. Chris Diamantopoulos (Moe), Sean Hayes (Larry), and Will Sasso (Curly) are putting every ounce of effort and will into these performances. I haven’t seen much of the Three Stooges, but there’s no doubt they replicate what the original actors did. You can tell these guys did nothing but sit in a room and watch the Three Stooges for weeks and weeks. But at the end of the day, its stuff we’ve seen many times over in film, but with more cartoonish sound effects.
What does make this movie work to some extent though is that these three guys are extremely likable, and you definitely root for them. Their camaraderie is clearly established even before these three actors are on screen, as we see them interact as kids, played very well by Skyler Gisondo (Moe), Lance Chantiles-Wertz (Larry), and Robert Capron (Curly). I appreciated the Farrelly brothers putting some heart into this movie unlike a lot of their more recent projects.
Surprisingly enough, the Three Stooges don’t entirely steal the show. The supporting cast is also very strong. Larry David as a nun is especially a treat. Come on, it’s Larry David, the co-creator of Seinfeld running around dressed as a nun getting pummeled…it’s hard to resist that. In fact, he’s probably my favorite part of the film. But the other supporting roles such as Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, and Jennifer Hudson are also giving it their all. You can tell everyone involved with this really wanted to make it work.
What really surprised me about this movie was that the comedy was harmless, and the physical humor is actually more toned down then you would think. Compared to the Farrelly Brother’s last effort, the detestable Hall Pass the shock humor of people shitting on a golf course is not present here, which I really appreciated. Unfortunately, the film is not completely free of the Farrelly-isms though. We have to endure a sequence of the Three Stooges running around with newborn babies who piss all over each other…sigh.
But with all the hard work everyone is putting in, the flaw in this film is that it’s just too repetitive. And what they are repeating just isn’t funny to begin with. Is Moe poking Larry in the eye still really that funny an hour into the movie? How funny was it to begin with? I’m pretty sure we’ve seen this trick before in passing as we flip through the channels late at night on Nick-at-Nite, or some other similar network.
Look, if you’re a die hard Three Stooges fan, then this is the movie for you. Go nuts. I didn’t grow up with the Stooges, so their brand of comedy to me seems ancient and uninteresting, and as a result, I found this movie boring and unfunny. This is also a kid friendly film, as you can tell the Farrelly Brothers really want children to get introduced to the Stooges. But come on, they aren’t going to care. I appreciate all the effort involved with this movie, but I’m pretty sure we’ve seen the last of the Three Stooges in film and television. As a side note, I remember years ago when Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Jim Carrey were on board for the three roles, and to be honest, I would have been intrigued to see that just because it’s the most bizarre comedy trio in the history of the world…now that would have been interesting.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (Passable Entertainment)
