'Dumb and Dumber To': Please, no 'Dumbest,' please . . .

The title of Dumb and Dumber To is a pretty good indicator of the level of wit in this sophomoric sequel. Sample punchline: "Age is just a letter."

It's hard to believe it has been 20 years since the original misadventures of Harry and Lloyd. Perhaps it took that long to persuade the filmmaking Farrelly brothers to take up their "Let's get stupid" cudgel again. Or to persuade Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey to revisit the most degrading roles of their careers.

They waste no time jumping into the crude idiocy, with a painful catheter gag in the first two minutes. Soon, our submoronic duo are off on another puerile pilgrimage, this time from Providence to El Paso, to track down the daughter that Harry (Daniels) never knew he had.

That means a bedraggled procession of potty and smutty humor, single entendres, gross sight gags, and mealy malaprops. The film clearly aspires to (three) stoogery with these lojinks. And it still aims too low. When all else fails (and it often does), the script resorts to mocking race or disabilities. Yet somehow, this often offensive insult fest earned a PG-13 rating.

The supporting cast includes Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead), Rob Riggle (Let's Be Cops), Rachel Melvin (Days of Our Lives), and Kathleen Turner (ouch!). There's also a cameo from Mama June of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Obviously, her appearance was shot before the child molestation scandal that got her show canceled. Her poorly timed presence actually elevates the tone of Dumb and Dumber To.

To give the film its due, the stupidity is served up with energy and good pace. But it takes a thin premise and stretches it like Silly Putty. The title should really be Obvious and Obviouser.

Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. With Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Kathleen Turner, Laurie Holden, Rob Riggle. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Running time: 1 hour, 50 mins.

Parent's guide: PG-13 (profanity, crude and sexual humor, nudity and drug references).

Playing at: area theaters.EndText