Dumb and Dumber To

Reuniting the twosome from the 1994 original, this sequel picks up 20 years later. Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) desperately needs a donor for a kidney transplant. After stumbling on a timeworn postcard from an old flame, Fraida Felcher (Kathleen Turner)—informing him that she's pregnant with his child—Harry and his buddy, Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey), discover that Fraida gave the baby girl up for adoption. When Fraida shows them a recent photo of now-grown Penny (Rachel Melvin), Lloyd convinces Harry to find his daughter, ostensibly to donate a kidney, but also because he's attracted to her. What the inept duo don't know is that someone else is also searching for Penny: a killer (Rob Riggle) in cahoots with Penny's scheming stepmom (Laurie Holden), who is slowly poisoning Penny's wealthy adoptive father (Steve Tom), a Nobel Prize-winning scientist. After Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003) flopped, directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly realized that their franchise depended on trying to re-ignite the imbecilic chemistry between Carrey and Daniels. Despite (or perhaps because of) input from six credited screenwriters, the actors here seem to be having more fun than the viewer. Disappointing and tedious, this vulgar, sophomoric attempt to reprise the charm of the original falls flat. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “That's Awesome!” making-of featurette (45 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted and extended scenes (11 min.), a “What's So Smart About Dumb and Dumber To” production segment (6 min.), an alternate opening (2 min.), a gag reel (8 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a tired comedy.] (S. Granger)