Amazon notified me via email that the new Farrelly Brothers' "The Three Stooges" was ready to be pre-ordered, so I linked over to do so--I hadn't had that much fun in a movie theater in a long time, and couldn't wait to re-visit the film at home along with the usual bounty of DVD extras the Farrellys usually provide (I hope). Imagine my shock when I read the supposedly authoritative "Amazon.com Editorial Review" posted at the film's page with the reviewer saying it was the Farrellys' "weakest effort to date" and "terminally unfunny." Look, I'm smart enough to know one review is just one person's opinion, and that comedy is very personal and a heckuva lot harder to pull off than drama (what's funny to one person is often simply irritating or annoying to another), but when the review is posted on a film's page as the authoritative last word, I have to put my two-cents in. Here's my short review: I either smiled, chuckled, or laughed out loud through the ENTIRE running time of this film, and that very rarely happens for me, hence my 5-star rating. Most comedies, even the best, have slow spots you wait out until the next laugh--it's often the natural flow of a film to have peaks and valleys, but this film had none for me--it was all peaks. Every scene had something for me to at least smile at, whether it was the Stooges themselves, Jane Lynch as a Mother Superior (!), Larry David as a cranky nun (!), Lin Shaye showing up out of the blue in a small role (I love her), Sofia Vergara gamely sparring with the guys, or small touches, surprises, and sight gags that flew by so fast you knew you'd be laughing all over again when you saw it a second time (if we'd had the time we would've gladly stayed to watch it a second time the day we saw it--the friend I saw it with had as much fun watching it as I did). The three leads were perfectly cast, and if you know the Stooges, you'll appreciate even more how perfect they are. It's uncanny how close they are to the originals, and the entire production feels like a respectful and loving homage to them. There is no doubt in my mind the film will spark even more appreciation and discovery of the original Stooges and their huge body of work, and that's exactly what you hope for: that the new film not only succeeds on its own but sparks viewers' interest, appreciation, and respect for the originals.
"The Three Stooges" doesn't have an involved plot or great subtle nuanced acting, it doesn't need it. The plot is pretty basic, the stooges are dropped off at an orphanage some time in the late 70's and as they grow up they wreak havoc on the nuns running the place and of course they're unadoptable. After they grow up Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), Larry (Sean Hayes), and Curly (Will Sasso) still live at the orphanage and wirk as handymen. Yes, I spelled it wirk because they aren't the brightest bulbs in the socket although they may stick their fingers in the socket! When the orphanage runs into financial problems the boys are sent out into the world to raise $830,000 to save it (shades of the Blues Brothers). Out in the world they're instantly picked by Lydia (Sofia Vergara) and Mac (Craig Bierko) planning to murder Lydia's husband. They give the trio a song and dance of wanting the stooges to kill Mac, but the story is a ruse to get the stooges to kill her husband. In all their bumbling good intentions to collect the $830,000 they foul up the murder plot, and provoke the ire of the murdering couple. All standard stooge fare.
There are a lot of good actors and actresses in "The Three Stooges", Jane Lynch, Brian Doyle Murray, Larry David, Stephen Collins, Sofia Vergara, but Diamantopoulos, Hayes, and Sasso are rightly front and center as the stooges and they do just about every classic stooge bit including a few new ones. And the usual foils of cops, doctors, lawyers, and high society matrons are the brunt of the stooges antics. A note, Moe becomes a reality star on Jersey Shore and its worth the price of admission to watch him dole out some well deserved punishment to the Shore cast.
The movie is episodic to recreate the feel of the original stooge shorts and directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly realize less is more and don't try to make this movie anything more than it is, good popcorn munching fun! Yes, it is violent, but some of the routines seem more intricate than dance routines and the violence is very cartoonish. If there are some of you out there that still aren't convinced, there's a postscript demonstrating how all the hammers are rubber, and how the eye poking is faked.
There are chick flicks and "The Three Stooges" may be a dude flick. I'm not a huge Stooges fan but the movie made me laugh and it was a lot of fun.
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The Three Stooges, and their unique brand of slapstick humor, are an American comedy institution. The trouble is, you are either rolling on the floor laughing at them, or you think there material is the dumbest shtick in the world. If you fall into the latter category, stop reading this review now, as you will hate this movie with a flaming passion. If a Stooge appreciator or connoisseur, however, then this big-screen adaptation will have you short of breath once again!For a basic plot summary, this movie follows the head-slapping, hair-pulling, eye-poking adventures of Larry (Sean Hayes), Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), & Curly (Will Sasso) as they try to raise money to save an orphanage. In typical Stooge fashion, they bumble around for awhile and engage in the sort of hijinks one would expect from the trio. Along the way, they run into the cast of the Jersey Shore, Moe becomes a famous reality star, and the gang even have to mend a relationship issue stemming from their collective past.
This film is a rousing experience because it works on two (well, three, really) levels...
1. It serves as an ode to the original Stooges. Though nothing will ever quite be the same as old Howard, Fine, & Howard, this movie captures their subtle nuances as best as humanly possibly. The original sound effects are used, the casting is spot-on (especially with Moe...one could close their eyes in the theater and think it was Moe Howard himself), and the physical comedy is at its best. Besides the actors themselves, though, some of the plots, music, and camerawork itself honors the original shorts. The movie is split up into three "shorts", the music is the same cackling Stooges theme heard countless times throughout the ages, and some of the cut-aways feature easily-identified dummies being hurled or pummeled in obvious fashion (as happened frequently in the original slapped-together shorts).
2. It is also a re-imagining of the Stooges for a new generation. Instead of re-treading the same old material, the Farelly brothers put the trio in today's time period, what with its similar Depression-era themes and new technological gadgets that befuddled the bumblers even further. The directors even add a bit of a backstory to the characters that actually works pretty well in the context of the overall plot. You can't say this film is utterly devoid of sense or emotion.
3. Finally, in keeping with the hearty Stooges tradition, this movie is just plain funny! As a huge Stooge fan, I came into it with a healthy mixture of excitement and doubt. It vastly exceeded even my wildest expectations and had me belly-laughing throughout. Does every single scene work for everyone? Of course not. However, enough DO work to keep you yuking (or nyuking, if you will) it up for ninety minutes.
Overall, the bottom line for this flick is this: If you enjoy Stooge-type humor, give this one a shot...I think you'll be glad you did! If you don't care for the slapstick style, than stay away or prepare to be bored. This is also a very child-friendly flick that can be enjoyed by literally all ages.
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When hearing about the making of this movie, I had mixed feelings. You see, my father is a huge Stooge fan and owns about every episode of the three bone heads. While I usually take my mom's side of the entertainment boat, I have always found myself enjoying the Stooges. It's more than just smacks and puns. It's the characters, their history, and their ability to make you laugh.So when this movie came out, I was worried. Hollywood has a tendency to.....how do I put this.....slaughter TV history's most lovable characters. And when the trailer was realized I was also a little worried because of the dreaded and unneeded "bikini nun" scene.
But during the time of the release my father was very stressed. You see, he is a pastor and a police officer. Both jobs don't really fall under the "fun" category. Some things popped up at the church and county work was starting to get to him. So I thought it might be good for us to wing a visit to the local theater and take in an hour and a half of the Stooges.
Grabbed my popcorn, sat down, and my fingers were crossed....Either this movie would do justice or ruin the Stooges for everyone.....and before I could even finish my first handful of popcorn I started choking on it....from laughter....
Another fact you may want to know is that my father doesn't laugh much. He's got a gift for making people laugh and he's got an amazing sense of humor. But, he doesn't laugh that much. Well, as soon as the movie started that all changed. I have never, repeat, never heard him laugh so much. This movie left you with a huge smile on your face. They did the Stooges, they weren't just doing them, they WERE the stooges. The quirks, the gags, and the "NUKS" were all there.
It took me a full day to get rid of that stupid smile I had on, but that didn't stop me from seeing it again (mom dodged it the first time, but the second my dad MADE her see it). He now calls it his "Favorite movie".
I'm a pushover for movie with good writing....and that's not really what I saw here, there were more slaps than words. But to see the Stooges after all these years come to life again, that was priceless. Would I recommend this movie? That depends. If you loved the Stooges, you need to see this film. If you didn't, then don't torture yourself. But again, for those people who know them, and enjoy them. This movie will make your day and always bring a smile to your face when you think about it.
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How did they do it? How did they manage to revive the Three Stooges in such a flawless fashion? They even divided the movie into 3 episodes (Which all follow the same plot, but still!), making it like as if they had created new episodes of the classic slapstick comedy! Believe it or not, this movie fits right into the days of old!While the plot may have a bit of seriousness involved (The Stooges are trying to save an orphanage where they had spent time there due to them never being adopted as kids And there's sorta more to it, such as attempted murder), it was easily overshadowed by numerous comedy bits (Which come around just as often as in the original show), tons of clever moments, and even the casting alone (The Stooges look EXACTLY like how they were back then, and I didn't think it'd be possible!)!
There is so much to like about the Three Stooges movie that it's impossible to tell it all under this one little review. I recommend you go watch the trailers online. Or better yet, you may as well just go watch the movie right now! You will NOT be disappointed! My little brother, my dad, and I went to go see it just today. We each had enjoyed it GREATLY. I hope you will enjoy this movie as much as we did (And maybe you'd get the same kind of nostalgia my dad did).
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