Take 1: The Three Stooges

My take on a film.

The Three Stooges (2012)

No knuckleheads were harmed in the making of this film.

(First, a disclaimer: I was not a fan of the original Three Stooges, so when I first heard about the recent remake, I didn't plan to watch... then I saw the trailer. I figured any movie that had me in stitches just during the trailer deserved a chance!)

For years comedy films have stunk up the joint with their foul body humor and sleezy sex jokes, so to me The Three Stooges (2012) was like a breath of fresh air. I loved the physical and slapstick humor. I loved the word plays...

(A bell falls from the tower and knocks a nun unconscious.)
Moe: Hey, was that Sister Mary-Mengele?
Curly: I don't know but the face rings a bell.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Moe ending up on a popular reality show, but then realized his physical abuse of the contestants mirrored their verbal abuse. Most of us would never poke someone in the eye, yet have no qualms about verbally lashing out to sucker punch those who cross our path.

The choreography and timing of their jabs, pokes, and jokes was an art form in itself. The actors did a superb job in imitating (and maybe surpassing) the originals.

Also, the film had a heartwarming story as the stooges tried their befuddled best to save the orphanage... and never gave up on the hope for adoption. Did the original Stooges have warm-fuzzy plots? I don't know...I need to give them another chance.

In the meantime, I await the DVD release of The Three Stooges. I plan to purchase a copy, and that speaks volumes (see post).

What worked: Physical comedy, clever dialogue, and rapid choreography

What didn't work: The filmmakers (at the end) explaining that the mallets were made of rubber, and the characters really didn't poke each other in the eye. So.... why don't filmmakers put disclaimers at the end of action thrillers?  "Okay kids.  These are rubber guns, and cardboard knives."

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

Trailer: The Three Stooges (2012)