Dumb and Dumber To Review

When a sequel to one of your favourite movies is announced, a flurry of feelings often ensues causing nervousness, sweating and often tears. In the months leading up to the release of such a film, the hype rises from a slow simmer, to a bubbling boil, to a "WOAH, take that off the heat, do you wanna start a fire?!". For me, Dumb and Dumber To was such a film, reuniting Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels and the Farrelly Brothers just 20 years after the first outing.

The film follows the dim-witted duo, Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels) who embark on another adventure in an attempt to track down Harry's daughter who could act as a kidney donor. Announced in October 2011, Dumb and Dumber To underwent a turbulent pre-production phase with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. refusing to produce and distribute the film. The general trend of films with this much hype and pre-production, see John Carter and Spiderman 3, fail to produce the critical reception and box office success. So, Is Dumb and Dumber To worth the wait?

Well, the answer to that question will depend on the enjoyment of the original and your comedic taste. Any synopsis of the story is irrelevant as the film is really a series of comedic set-pieces that continually test the dumb nature of the individuals. For the most part, these work well with the biggest laughs coming from nostalgic references to the original much like the format of the funny buddy-cop sequel, 22 Jump Street. Any fan of Jim Carrey, will be glad to see a return to manic form after a series of disappointing roles in recent films like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and Kick Ass 2.

Harry and Lloyd introduce Travis (Rob Riggle) to the 'He Who Smelt It' game.

 Dumb and Dumber To is at its best when Harry and Lloyd are embarking on the cross-country road trip. The highlight being not one, but two dream sequences which are perfect examples of the hilarity and absurdness which made the original a success. As the duo approach their destination of a KEN conference where Harry's daughter is expected to hold a speech, the film screeches to a halt and laughs become more sparse. However, the film wraps up with a funny albeit dumb (What do you expect?) ending. This film will be enjoyed by fans of the original and by anyone who is tired of the monotonal crudeness that so many comedy films rely on today. It is a welcome return to the comedic physicality of Jim Carrey's earlier movies and showing the chemistry of the two main characters is still there and still as dumb as ever.

7/10

Hidden Gem: Time Lapse (2014)

As anyone who has a passion for good movies knows, there is no better feeling than being surprised by your enjoyment of a movie that you have never heard of or have never seen a trailer for. One such movie which I had the joy of experiencing  recently was Time Lapse (2014) from relatively unknown director Bradley King who also co-wrote the script. The film follows three friends as they discover a camera that takes pictures 24 hours into the future. As the characters conspire to use the camera for personal gain, the gravity of their actions soon becomes evident as they unravel the mystery of the previous owner and learn of their own fate.

Finn (Matt O'Leary) pondering over the many Polaroid photographs which display future events in Time Lapse (2014)

The joy of Time Lapse(2014) comes not from outlandish special effects but its ability to tell an original and exciting story which will be relished by fans of Christopher Nolan films such as Memento (2000), The Prestige (2006) and latest blockbuster, Interstellar (2014). Time travel is by no means an unexplored phenomena in films but the scope of  the story which focuses on an average person's reaction to time travel stimulates a connectivity with the audience where one might say 'If I had a time machine, I would...'.

"Don't f**k with time"- Jasper (George Finn) in Time Lapse

The three main characters Finn (Matt O'Leary), Callie (Danielle Panabaker) and Jasper (George Finn) portray, for the most part, believable performances which add to increasing tension of this film. Each character develops with the gradual accentuation of darkness and threat that is presented with each new photo. As their mental states intertwine and react with each other within the confined environment which they are forced into in order to uphold the continuity of time, the film progressively takes a darker tone and one that becomes more intriguing. When the story comes full circle, I found myself thinking for long periods of time about the theme of fate which Time Lapse (2014) explored, whether we are on a predestined pathway to an unalterable fate or are freely changing our own  fate by our everyday individual decisions. Bradley King really does a good job of making sure that the story does not suffer from plot-holes or paradoxes such as those associated by the recent and popular time-travel endeavour, Looper (2012). Whilst there are some questionable plot points in later sequences such as the over-the-top reaction by one of the main characters, the ending is smart, shocking and unpredictable making for full and gratifying experience.

Don't watch the trailer or read any more synopsis! The best way to watch this movie is knowing as little as possible about it. Enjoy and feel free to discuss in the comments what you thought of the film!

9/10

Flashback Friday: The Frighteners (1996) Review

A halloween horror spree and preemption for Peter Jackson's new Hobbit movie led me to view The Frighteners (1996), a delightful movie that enchants through its visual spectacle, soft comedy and occasional horror. Often described as a blend of Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters, it deservedly attained cult status and should be re-visited by all.

The ever-likeable Michael J.Fox  stars as Frank Bannister, a supernatural private-eye who developed a powers to see the deceased after a near-death encounter. What may originally seem like a cliched theme which has been used  to death in Hollywood (if you'll pardon the pun) from films like the Sixth Sense to The Others, here it is dealt with in a novel way. In particular, the interaction of Bannister with various ghosts works to produce comedic scenarios with the highlight being a cameo from R. Lee Ermey who parodies his Full Metal Jacket sergeant character. Bannister's power takes him into dark territory after the occurrence of various ghostly assassinations which seem to be tied to a brutal serial killer from 20 years earlier. As he teams up with Lucy Lunskey (Trini Alvarado), Bannister has to take more and more extreme steps to unravel the mystery of the recent killings

"Get back in the goddamn ground,you unorganised grab-asstic gob of teleplasmic shit!"- R.Lee Ermey as Hiles in the Frighteners

The Frighteners(1996) marks a transitional phase in direction for Peter Jackson taking the comedic horror from his low-budget movies such as Bad Taste (1987) and Dead Alive (1992) and mixing it in with relentless action of the Lord of the Rings franchise. The light-hearted nature of the actors do well to keep the story from getting too heavy and the frantic movement of the story will constantly keep the audience interested along the whole ride with all the twists and turns leading to a satisfying but somewhat underwhelming ending. But like the latest Hobbit movies, it is the journey rather than the outcome that makes for a enjoyable film.

8/10