THE THREE STOOGES (P13)
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: 09 August 2012
Running Time: 92 minutes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Screenplay: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly; based on short films by The Three Stooges
Starring: Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, Larry David, Jane Lynch
Plot Synopsis: Left on a nun's doorstep, Larry, Curly and Moe grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. Out to save their childhood home, only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot...while also stumbling into starring in a phenomenally successful TV reality show.
REVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP
Review: This movie is an adaptation of the slapstick comedy in the 50s and my parents will definitely have more formative experience about The Stooges than I. Just recently, I was able to watch it when the local terrestrial station airs it every midnight in their selective retro slots. Been following it for about six weeks, I begin to understand why they were the true celebrity back then and how believably workable the slapstick dialog and hilarious action was. In this modern era, Hollywood would love to chunk out the old stuffs and brandishes it with new fancy stuffs for the audience to gag, although usually it does not work well.
This movie is just like that, unfortunately. The Three Stooges has hits and misses. For that many already know this will be it after all. You do not watch this for anything other than a good laugh. If you hope for something else, you definitely have no idea at all.
While the humors are incredibly lame, crude, laughable and faithful to the original; the movie lacks the nostalgia and humility that makes the 50s comedy so lovable and magical. That is the biggest miss any remake can possibly go. Either something is missing or we just cannot go along with this kind of comedy anymore, but I strongly believe that it is due to the plot. Farrelly’s screenplay is vulnerable to extreme absurdity (especially in the middle stint) but is also treated with some clever-yet-lame physical comedies.
As the plot goes, The Three Stooges is all about Moe, Larry and Curly. If there is one thing that the trio has truly learned during their 30 years of stay with the nuns and orphans of the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage, it is trouble. One day, the orphanage was forced to close due to economic meltdown and financial difficulties. The Stooges stands up and pledges to finds considerable amount of money to save the orphanage. On arrival to the big city, they find rare opportunities to earn substantial cash through a murder plot against a millionaire and an accidental stardom in a popular TV program.
The casting of Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes and Will Sasso as Moe, Larry and Curly, respectively is just ideal. Physically and performance-wise are just perfectly-pitched and timed. Never have I seen characters doing eye-poking, head-hammering and face-slapping so mesmerizing. The addition of Larry David as one nun who hates the trio is also a welcoming note that enhances the acting. For all that, there is nothing to complaint about.
In the end, as perfect as the casting in The Three Stooges is, it yields to see that it is not entirely a bad attempt to evoke some laugh with its lame and vulnerable plot that lacks the proper nostalgia.
MY RATING:
Story: 3.0
Casts: 4.0
Cinematography: 3.0
Effects: 2.5
GREEN-TEA-O-METER: 13.3/20.0