Let’s be completely upfront…
There are chick flicks that lend themselves very well to Girls Night Out movies. Like next week’s THE LUCKY ONE with Zac Efron from the pen of The Notebook’s Nicholas Sparks.
THE THREE STOOGES doesn’t fall into that catagory.
Matter of fact, I would suggest a Boy’s Night Out here with a couple of drinks and a cigar before meeting up with Larry, Moe & Curly at the megaplex.
It’s a guy thing.
The Three Stooges churned out nearly 200 shorts between 1934 and 1959 and found a whole new life on TV—and they’re still banging each other over the head on cable.
Enter fans since childhood, Peter and Bobby Farrelly who, when it comes to comedies, march to the cinematic beat of a different drummer.
Who can forget their DUMB & DUMBER, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, KINGPIN, ME, MYSELF & IRENE, SHALLOW HAL or STUCK ON YOU?
Well, they’ve taken the Stooges concept—sound effects and all—and built a present-day, PG-rated storyline around it. A three act play of sorts of how as toddlers they were left on the doorsteps of an orphanage and taken in by a nun.
And now, all grown up (so to speak), helping to save their childhood home from being forced to close its doors forever. Along the way bruised, battered and bewildered and becoming embroiled in an oddball murder plot. It’s pure slapstick.
But who to cast in the roles of the Three Stooges?
Through the pre-production era of the film names such as Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe were being tossed around. But when everything was said and done the Farrelly Brothers instead went for lesser known names and faces.
And that’s a good thing!
In the three starring roles we find Sean Hayes from ‘Will & Grace’ as Larry. Curly’s played by Will Sasso from ‘Mad TV’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ while Moe’s clone in the movie is ’24’ and ‘Up All Night’s’ Chris Diamantopoulos.
They’re supported by the likes of Jane Lynch as Mother Superior, Jennifer Hudson, Craig Bierko, Brian Doyle-Murray as Monsignor Ratcliffe, Kate Upton, Stephen Collins and Larry David as mean-spirited Sister Mary-Mengele—not to mention a touch of Reality TV stardom for Moe who stumbles into Jersey Shore, taking on The Situation, Snooki and the rest of MTV’s misfits.
There are plenty of twists, turns and goofy setups along the way that will have you laughing out loud.
Did I mention my suggestion of drinks before the show? SOITENLY!
Make this a Two Drink Minimum movie.
Oh and just before the end-credits roll, a couple of hunks claiming to be Peter and Bobby Farrelly come on screen with a violence disclaimer of sorts—explaining how the Stooges’ weapons in the film were in fact just rubber substitutes.
Kinda like, Don’t Play With Matches, Kids – just another (almost) politically correct infusion from the wacky Farrelly’s.
Ninety-two, non-stop minutes of laffs with THE THREE STOOGES raising 3 out of 5 nostalgic fingers.
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on NewsRadio KMBZ Am & Fm and anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411.
sounds more like a
two doobie movie, or as we say in the city with no pity- ‘a rental’.
how Im gonna find a wife
If you see a woman in the movie theater opening night, MARRY HER!
Maybe
I looked forward to this film but was hoping for something with some substance on their lives.
In 1973, I moved to Philadelphia and The Three Stooges were on afternoon. One of the ads during the show was for Larry Fine t-shirts. Larry did them but he was suffering dementia, living in a nursing home in Bala Cynwdd.
I took a ride up there and spent a couple of hours with him. I can’t even remember what we talked about but we had a nice talk. I sent him some candy and fruit later to say thanks for taking the time to talk with a kid/fan.
New book out on Larry now.
I hope the movie isn’t as bad as The Little Rascals film.
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120412_Stooge_Larry_Fine_was_a_Philly_guy.html
Hey Orphan….
….don’t confuse this movie with some kind of a biographical piece or a documentary of their lives. What the Farrelly brothers have done is taken the Stooges’ old concept—goffyness, sfx and all—and set it into a modern-day storyline. With its pretty tight running time of just 92 minutes, it works (…for guys!)
The screening audience that I saw it with last Monday was laughing out loud throughout the picture.
Not Sure About
Moe and Larry, but judging by the previews, Sasso totally nails Curly and that can’t be easy. Great point by balbonis moleskine, but no way that’s happening. After such a great run in 90s, Farrelly Brother efforts (Fever Pitch, Heartbreak Kid remake, Hall Pass) have really sucked lately so I have some trepidation, but this flick does seem like something right in their wheelhouse so perhaps a comeback of sorts? I’m with dude and Sublime, I’ll Smoke Two Joints before going and it’s win win.
Jack P
I hope so. Had they did a bio along the lines of Kingpin, I think it would have worked. The Stooges brilliance was in the brevity of their films.
This is a film I’ve been waiting on. Next one is the Cowen Brothers’ bio on Dave Van Ronk.
No marriage proposals, please….
I have a wonderful boyfriend! However, I guess I’m one of those rare female specimens who LOVE “The Stooges”! I’m skeptical about this remake, however… anyone who dares to think that they can pull off the genius of the original Stooges, well, I don’t know…..Personally, I don’t think anyone could come close to even touching them. More power to these guys if they can manage to pull it off…they’ve got some mighty tough shoes to fill…. waiting to see……
As much as I like The Three Stooges I really doubt this new movie will hold the test of time. I would have to think it is next to impossible to capture the magic of the original Stooges. Even when Shemp took over for Curly and was later replaced by Joe then Curly Joe nobody could replace Curly himself. Will Sasso who is a good comedy actor I am sure will do a good job imitating Curly but he can never be Curly.
A comparison of these three actors trying to replace The Stooges would be like if someone tried to redo Grumpy Old Men with actors trying to imitating Matthau and Lemmon. Walter and Jack had a magic that come out when they got together on the big screen that can never be imitated.
I can watch reruns of The Stooges and the two Grumpy movies still today and laugh almost as much and as often as I did the first time I saw them. But I doubt the new Stooges movie will have that magic on me the second time around or for damn sure not the third time I watch it.
I like the Stooges also,
but can’t Hollywood come up with anything original anymore? Everything seems to be remakes and retreads lately. Where is the creativity?
Bridesmaids Revisited
Can’t wait for the remake of King of Sting
A better Stooges remake
could me made with people right here on KCC. Hearne could go to his beauty shop and get a bowl haircut and be a great Moe. Glaze could ditch the rug, grow out his hair and be Larry. Harley could smarten up a little and be Curly.
This movie is about 2-3 generations too late………who under 40 even knows about the Three Stooges? Besides, it’s not based on a video game. Don’t understand how this got green lit.
Super Dave
Shemp was the original Stooge. He left to pursue a solo career (great as the bartener in WC Fields’ The Bank Dick). Larry was a bartender when Shemp met him. Larry didn’t want to be an actor, wanted a steady paycheck. Then came Prohibition and Larry saw acting as a chance to earn some money. Moe joined the two a few years later.
For every 3:10 to Yuma there are a hundred Billy Jack Goes to Washingtons. Remakes work when taken from their original form, such as Au Cage Au Follies/Birdcage and The Seven Samauri/The Magnificent Seven.
the trailer is all you need to see – anyone that actually
thinks the trailer is funny may enjoy this unnecessary retread but otherwise consider yourself warned.
Keep in mind this movie is unlike all the prior Farrelly Brothers’ movies because it is the first time they’ve done a remake/adaptation of an existing well-known body of work. My guess is this movie will tank in an epic way and will be gone from theaters by Cinco de Mayo.
Mike, if you want creativity and originality I’d check out the local art movie houses and/or dig in to some indie films. Big time Hollywood is a vending machine. They produce for the masses. Indie films are where it’s at. A shoestring budget and some guy driven to see his artistic vision realized…even if it doesn’t work, it’s inspiring to see somebody swing for the fences with a labor of love.
Originals > remakes
@Orphan of the Road
Usually (about 100% of the time) remakes are like reflux acid – best forgotten, with ‘rare’ (and I do mean rare) exception. In fact, the only two that even come to mind for consideration by me are the 1991 remake of the 1962 film ‘Cape Fear’, and ‘The Defiant Ones’, an 1986 made for tv movie remake of the 1958 Tony Curtis/Sidney Poitier film original.
In the first case I still preferred the original; in the second I actually preferred the remake, though I was a big fan of most everything Poitier ever did. Perhaps I / must have fallen down and hit my head (several times) before viewing the tv version… go figure.
As for ‘The Three Stooges’ remake, I calculate the latest effort will also fall short the original geniuses… just as an Eddie Murphy fell far short of Jerry Lewis ‘The Nutty Professor’, my opine.