First Words
As soon as I left the theater after seeing The Three Stooges, I was surprised how the movie turned out. I had no clue the movie was going to be the way it was. OK, let me stop playing and leading you all on. Everything that comes to mind when you think of the Three Stooges is delivered in the movie. As the movie plays out, it turns out to be both a good and bad thing.
Plot
Larry, Curly and Moe (Sean Hayes, Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos, respectively) have been living in a Catholic orphanage ever since they were heaved out of a moving car onto its porch as babies. As a result of never getting adopted, the orphanage remained their home as adults.
That very home is put in jeopardy, though, when it is announced that the orphanage will be closed unless someone comes up with $830,000 to save it. The boneheaded trio then begins a quest for the money that leads them into a murder scheme and a world they know very little about.
Positives
The Three Stooges plays out exactly how you would expect it to. The film brings back the same humor, antics and bodily sound effects that the comedy was known for in the past, which actually works in the film's favor. The filmmakers successfully conjured a modern-day rendition of The Three Stooges.
Diamantopoulos, Sasso and Hayes do their best impersonations of the famous characters. Some might think it is not difficult to act dumb and silly, but their looks and specific personality traits compared with the original actors shouldn’t
go unnoticed.
Negatives
Although it’s good that the film stuck to the roots of the original comedy act, the level of humor was really affected by it. The PG rating is a clear sign that the movie is targeted at kids, but that’s really the only audience that will walk out saying, “That movie was hilarious.”
One of the most “childish” scenes involved the Stooges shooting baby urine at one another. I did laugh at some parts, mainly beginning from the second half to the end. The rest of the intentionally funny parts got nothing more than a smile from me.
Other than that, just a few small things bothered me about the movie, one of which was the use of Jane Lynch as Mother Superior. Based on her
previous performances, it’s obvious that her talents should have been utilized for more comedic moments.
And lastly, there is the acting by the Jersey Shore cast. I know that nothing is really expected from them, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s clearly noticeable that none of them will be seeing a starring role on the big screen anytime soon.
Last Words
The Three Stooges is a decent film mainly because of how it gives the viewers exactly what they paid for. Though those who remember the original Three Stooges are not kids anymore, this film seems as if it’s aimed toward kids.
Sadly, that was a good thing for the filmmakers to do because the slapstick humor that the film brings doesn’t seem to have the mass appeal as it did in the past.
Nathan Gordon is a freshman studying journalism and a blogger for The Post. Talk Larry, Moe and Curly with him at ng312310@ohiou.edu. You can find more reviews at thepostculture.wordpress.com.
