THE THREE STOOGES

RYAN:  You pretty much get what you expect from this movie – Three Stooges.  I’m not convinced this movie had to be made.

CAROLINE:  Was it that bad?

RYAN:  It wasn’t 100% painful, but it is rawther hard to watch at times. I think the biggest challenge is that while great comedy is timeless, this brand of slapstick doesn’t play as well to a 2012 audience.

CAROLINE:  I can understand that.  I don’t know anyone under the age of 70 who’s dying to see this.

 

RYAN: Exactly.  It will play mostly to the nostalgic set and then the juvenile.  It’s a very safe, predictable, PG comedy.    
CAROLINE:  What did you like about it?

RYAN:  The three actors do brilliant impersonations.  Sean Hayes is excellent as Larry.

CAROLINE:  Loved him as Jack on TV’s Will & Grace.  He’s barely recognizable in this though!

RYAN: He and the other stooges really nail the roles and there is some good stunt casting in supporting roles – Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson and Larry David as nuns, Sofia Vergara and Craig Bierko as a couple. 

 

CAROLINE:  I enjoy all of them.  Is Jane crazy high-lar in this?

RYAN:  I never fell over laughing at anything.  But there were some people around me, at times, laughing howler-monkey-style.

CAROLINE:  [laughs’ Ok then. 

RYAN: There’s also a whole section of the film devoted to the Jersey Shore that just totally irritated me. 

CAROLINE:  That’s so random.  But the Jersey Shore people must love it.

 

RYAN:  Creatively, the film is very well done – the music, the titles, the costumes all really pay great tribute to these legendary comics.  But these characters don’t work for me as set in the modern world. It would have been way better as an actual period piece. 

CAROLINE:  I could see that too.

RYAN: It’s just mindless fluff comedy for kids.  It’s only 90 minutes but lagged about three quarters of the way through when the Jersey Shore hits.  The other new movies this weekend have much more bang for your buck.

— RATING —