REVIEW: The Three Stooges

MOVIE
The Three Stooges

CAST
Sean Hayes, Will Sasso,
Chris Diamantopoulos

RATING
PG

RELEASE
April 13, 2012

DIRECTOR(S)
Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 32 minutes





STARS
***1/4










REVIEW:

Never in my right mind did I ever expect to enjoy The Farrelly Brothers' new take on 'The Three Stooges.'  The trailers made this movie look like a contender for one of the worst movies of 2012 overall.  As you can see, I was not excited to see this movie at all.  However my sister asked if I would want to see it, so I said yes because at the time I was bored and had nothing else to do.  The movie opens up at an orphanage where kids are playing kick the can.  Larry David's Sister Mary-Mengele then comes out and tells them that recess is over.  From there the kids break out into an absurd musical number that is interrupted about five lines in by Mary-Mengele, who says and I quote "Shut Up!  This isn't 'The Sound of Music!' Get inside!"  From there the laughs were coming consistently and in the end I had myself a very good time.  'The Three Stooges' isn't the crap you'd expect to be at all.  Instead it is a clever, funny, but clichéd movie that will have both kids and adults alike upchucking belly-laughs throughout.

The one concern that people may have is if the guys who are portraying Larry, Curly, and Moe live up to the original three men.  Let me tell you that the three replacements of the Stooges are fantastic in this movie.  It's amazing how good they were, because they looked, sounded, and acted like reincarnations of the original comedians.  Sometimes you could just get lost in the slapstick and in the performances that you'll need to say to yourself, "Wait a minute, Larry Fine, Moe Howard, and Curly Howard are dead!"  These guys are spot on with their portrayals, and I wish that these guys were looked at more.  This movie is filled with today's biggest TV celebs.  Including Larry David, we also have 'Glee's' Jane Lynch and 'Modern Family's' Sofia Vergara.  Lynch is probably considered an extended cameo, because she's in the film for about 10-15 minutes as the head nun of the orphanage that the Stooges grew up at.  As for Vergara, well, she is pretty awful in this movie.  She may be extremely attractive, but in movies Vergara just isn't a good actress.  Her resume includes 'The Smurfs' and 'New Year's Eve,' which are both considered to be bad movies.  Her story involving an attempted murder I feel was pointless to a certain extent.  Other than her, along with the others involved with the murder story, the cast was quite great.

The Farrelly Brothers were very smart to get this movie out there now, where barely anyone knows who The Stooges are.  Even though jokes about 'Jersey Shore' and 'The Kardashians' are put in to appeal to the modern generation, the jokes surprisingly enough work to the highest extent.  Is this the funniest movie you will see this year?  Probably not.  However is it a very funny movie that's definitely worth your time? Absolutely yes.  This movie has been out for a little while now, but I would still highly recommend taking your kids to see this one.  If you don't do that and you want to save up for something like, um, 'Marvel's The Avengers,' then check this movie out when it comes on DVD and Blu-Ray.  If you're even worried that your kids might try to perform the insane acts done by The Stooges, have no fear because right at the end of the movie two guys who claim to be The Farrelly Brothers tell the audience that the tricks and stunts in this movie were done by professionals.  How about that for a public service announcement?  Overall 'The Three Stooges' is a surprisingly funny movie with tons of humor that will entertain both kids and adults alike.  Nyuck Nyuck Nyuck!




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