THE FILM:

What did Peter and Bobby Farrelly do after a decade plus of awful filmmaking on their slow slide toward irrelevance? They directed a long-gestating, totally unnecessary sequel to their first film, Dumb and Dumber. I hate to rag on the Farrelly Brothers, but they have shown nothing close to a filmmaking spark since Fever Pitch a decade ago. Dumb and Dumber To scraped up $86 million domestically but is a desperate, unfunny attempt to capitalize on the endearing first film. The Brothers and star Jim Carrey might have needed this film; Jeff Daniels certainly did not. My, how the tables have turned. I do not mind that Dumb and Dumber To uses slapstick, bodily humor or that there is hardly a plot. I just couldn't get over a strong sense of remorse that this was even shot.

At least the Farrelly Brothers don't tease you with a brilliant opening scene before dropping the ball. Harry Dunne (Daniels) visits Lloyd Christmas (Carrey), who has been institutionalized for the last 20 years. Surprise, it was a prank. The opening title is then placed over shots of Harry desperately trying to remove Lloyd's catheter. The first time I attempted to watch Dumber and Dumber To I was fresh from the bar with some buddies. The resounding response to this cold open: "Nope!" If a lowbrow comedy can't entertain the inebriated then it ain't living right.

Oh dear God, that's Kathleen Turner looking old as hell and bored to death as Fraida Felcher, who may or may not be Harry's baby mama. Despite a complete lack of physical symptoms, Harry needs a kidney transplant, so he and Lloyd try to find and solicit the organs of the daughter (Rachel Melvin) Fraida gave up 20 years ago. At least the Farrelly Brothers know they're not making a good movie. They do their best to re-create the exact mood of the 1994 original by throwing in numerous reminders like Blind Billy (Brady Bluhm) and Harry's dog-car, but everything comes off as forced and unfunny.

The Brothers and Carrey haven't exactly been on fire of late, but Daniels won an Emmy for "The Newsroom" and keeps making solid career choices like Ridley Scott's upcoming The Martian. All parties consented here, so I do not feel too bad for anyone. Sure, there are a couple of laughs scattered about, but they are more about warm memories of the idiot protagonists than any new chuckles earned. The filmmaking is static and unflashy, a Farrelly Brothers tradition, and some of the supporting actors are downright bad. Six people wrote this script. This type of humor felt fresh in 1994. The expiration date has long past.

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

The 1.85:1/1080p/AVC-encoded image from Universal is crisp, clean and sharp, with solid detail and accurate skin tones. Colors are nicely saturated, black levels are good, and I noticed no problems with aliasing or digital manipulation.

SOUND:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is surprisingly immersive, with a nicely expansive sound field and plenty of ambient effects in the surrounds. The score is weighty and nicely balanced with dialogue and effects. The LFE is called upon for some action beats. French, German and Spanish 5.1 DTS mixes are also included, as are English SDH, French, Spanish and German subs.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

This two-disc "combo pack" includes the Blu-ray, a DVD copy and both UltraViolet and iTunes-compatible digital copies. The discs are packed in a standard case, which is wrapped in a matching slipcover. Extras include an Alternate Opening (2:19/HD); Deleted/Extended Scenes (10:27 total/HD); and a Gag Reel (7:33/HD). "That's Awesome!" - The Story of Dumb and Dumber To (42:00 total/HD) is a fairly expansive, five-part making-of with cast and crew interviews, and the same players discuss the benefits of humor in What's So Smart About Dumb and Dumber To (6:17/HD).

FINAL THOUGHTS:

All y'all thought Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd - the non-Farrelly prequel to Dumb and Dumber - was bad? At least that movie didn't have the pedigree that should have made this long-delayed sequel worth watching. Dumb and Dumber To is not funny, it is sad and depressing. Skip It.

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.