The Three Stooges: "Like Moses In The Desert, I Believe The Lord Will Guide Them. Because They're Pure Of Heart"

Director: Peter Farrelly
               Robert Farelly
Writer:    Mike Cerrone
               Peter Farrelly
               Robert Farelly
Starring: Chris Diamantopoulos
               Sean Hayes
               Will Sasso
               Sofia Vergara
               Craig Bierko
               Jane Lynch
               Jennifer Hudson
               Larry David
               Kirby Heyborne 
Rating:    ***

Release Date:
22/08/12


It's not a surprise to anyone that recently Hollywood has been riddled with prequels, sequels and remakes of classic films and TV shows, some have been good and some just plain awful. Things haven't suddenly changed and now The Farrelly Brothers have released their tribute to the comedy classics, The Three Stooges. I personally am not familiar with the original concept, so I won't try and compare, what I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. The film, overall, was amusing and the wacky trio's shenanigans kept me entertained for the majority; with every head-butt, eye-poke and Nyuk-Nyuk along the way. 

(L-R) Will Sasso, Chris Diamantopoulos
& Sean Hayes
We follow the zany gang from when they were babies abandoned at an orphanage lead by some friendly (and not-so-friendly) Nuns (Lynch, Hudson & David). As the boys grow into 'men' they soon find themselves faced with the biggest challenge and largest amount of responsibility they will probably ever have to deal with. The orphanage is facing closure, and they must try and get hold of $830,000 to save their home and friends. All that Moe, Larry and Curly (Diamantopoulos, Hayes & Sasso) have to figure out is how to raise such a large amount of cash in such a short amount of time. As the three friends set off on their heroic journey, they soon realise that life outside of the orphanage won't be so carefree and easy.

When they arrive in the city they run into the glamorous Lydia (Vergara), who notices that the unlikely heroes are looking to make some quick dough. With this in mind she tries to take advantage of the dim-witted trio, offering them money to kill her husband, $830,000 to be precise. She tricks them into thinking that her husband is seriously ill, when really she wants him gone so she can inherit his riches and run of with his best friend; and so naively the dopey threesome agree to off the conniving temptress' better half. 
Sofia Vergara

However, as things stop going to plan for the chums and tensions start to get to high, the lifelong buddies end up splitting and tying to earn the money separately. Larry and Curly try their hands at trying to sell various random products, while Moe joins the cast of Jersey Shore. What does this mean for the orphanage...Will The Three Stooges save it in time? Will Lydia get her comeuppance? And most importantly, will Snooki or The Situation get a good ol' jab to the eyes.

I've seen the odd clip of the originals on Youtube, and judging by some of the online reception, it is fair to say that the three stars do a rather good job at impersonating the old classics. Most of the time impersonating old favourites on the big screen doesn't go down well (people like to see a fresh version of something), but I think that in this case it was the best decision to make; it keep fans of the classics happy and will still entertain a new audience. The rest of the supporting cast do terrifically well to keep up with the stars' hyperactive performances; with Lynch, David and Vergara getting to show of their comedic abilities and Hudson getting to show off her vocal abilities (although she is a terrific actress as well).

(L-R) Kate Upton, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson
& Larry David
One of the biggest risks about reviving these characters is that back when they were first popular, this type of relentless slap-stick comedy was very big and would entertain the masses on many an occasion. Nowadays however, children's films are made to entertain both children and adults, throwing in plenty of subtle, hidden gems for the older audience. It's been a while since a film as immature as this one was released (and in this case, I mean immature positively), so I am worried how audiences will take it. Younger audience members will almost definitely eat it up, I just feel concern that adults may not respond well; they will either enjoy the sense of nostalgia, or it will end up being huge flop. The reason I am focusing on the older viewers more is because it is more likely going to be them that want to see this film, they will have seen the original and will be curious about how the remake will turn out...it'll just so happen that they will take their kids along.

Overall, I would call The Three Stooges a  surprising success, it is entertaining, funny (albeit very silly), and just a nice fun, feel-good movie. It is not without it's issues, don't get me wrong, the plot has been done many times before and as the conclusion draws nearer, the constant jabs and slaps grow tiring; but the final product should be fun for all the family. It may not be your first choice when planning a cinema trip during these summer holidays, but it is definitely one to consider (if you haven't already) for you and your kids to enjoy.


The Three Stooges - Trailer

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