The thing that separates this "stupid movie" from other, inferior "stupid movies" like Zoolander and Anchorman is that the movie never takes the stupidity seriously. This is realism of a sort: In general, incompetent fools do not excel in life, and they don't excel in here. The guy does not end up with the girl, the protagonists don't end up successful or particularly happy except in their friendship.
This gives the comedy so much more impact. If everyone and the world are believable, ridiculous antics really stick out. My favorite scene in this movie, for example, is Harry and Lloyd's interaction with a very serious, tough thug. The thug's realistically confused and shocked response to their pure idiocy makes the idiocy itself far more potent and gut-wrenchingly hilarious.
The plot, while not particularly deep, acts as a sort of clever satire on most comedy-adventures. As I said, the heroes actually end up any better off than they started, but their blissful ignorance makes it hard for you to feel sad for them.
There are two distinct reasons that this comedy stands the test of multiple views, though. One is the physical, comedic performances of Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey as Harry and Lloyd. So brilliantly over-the-top and obnoxious, you'll be laughing almost non-stop if you just pay attention to the way the two stars act. The other is how creatively stupid Harry and Lloyd are. It's clear someone of great intelligence wrote this "stupid" script; the jokes are clever and come at a nonstop pace.
There are the requisite bodily function jokes, but they don't really drag the movie down very much, as they are sparse and generally funny. Overall, I recommend this movie for all fans of comedy. And I question the wisdom and sanity of anyone who doesn't consider themselves a fan of comedy.
9/10
This gives the comedy so much more impact. If everyone and the world are believable, ridiculous antics really stick out. My favorite scene in this movie, for example, is Harry and Lloyd's interaction with a very serious, tough thug. The thug's realistically confused and shocked response to their pure idiocy makes the idiocy itself far more potent and gut-wrenchingly hilarious.
The plot, while not particularly deep, acts as a sort of clever satire on most comedy-adventures. As I said, the heroes actually end up any better off than they started, but their blissful ignorance makes it hard for you to feel sad for them.
There are two distinct reasons that this comedy stands the test of multiple views, though. One is the physical, comedic performances of Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey as Harry and Lloyd. So brilliantly over-the-top and obnoxious, you'll be laughing almost non-stop if you just pay attention to the way the two stars act. The other is how creatively stupid Harry and Lloyd are. It's clear someone of great intelligence wrote this "stupid" script; the jokes are clever and come at a nonstop pace.
There are the requisite bodily function jokes, but they don't really drag the movie down very much, as they are sparse and generally funny. Overall, I recommend this movie for all fans of comedy. And I question the wisdom and sanity of anyone who doesn't consider themselves a fan of comedy.
9/10