Reviews & Ratings for
The Three Stooges More at IMDbPro »

Page 1 of 17:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

87 out of 126 people found the following review useful:
I felt ten years old again, 22 March 2012
Author: YoungDob

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I remember loving Our Gang when I was a kid. Sitting in front of that wood grain TV watching Spanky & Alfalfa, wishing I could be a part of their adventures. Then I remember seeing the Little Rascals (1994) remake, and hating it Despising it. Worst piece of crap ever. Utter. trash. People who obviously had no respect for the original and just...screwed it up.

Well, I also remember loving The Three Stooges as a kid. Just classic material. Then I remember seeing the trailer for this new remake, and hating it. I moved on, putting it out of my mind. It got the 2012 treatment and looked like how you would expect it to look when they rape our memories for a quick buck.

Then I was invited to a top secret viewing of the flick. Free. I don't pass up free stuff. So I went. Figured I would have fun ranting about this movie later.

So , let me get this out of the way first. This movie surpassed my extremely low expectations for it. And that is where I sat with it for a while after I saw it, trying to figure out if I liked it because I had low expectations, or because I truly find it to be actually funny. I have confidently decided on the latter.

Yes, The Three Stooges 2012 is a *gasp* funny movie. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor. Yes its essentially a fart joke movie, but….it is a well made fart joke movie, which isn't easy to make. This isn't Norbit. Like the originals, there are well placed jokes,nice set ups and the story mostly moves along at a nice clip. The characters are interesting and plenty of the gags are laugh out loud funny. The film doesn't take itself seriously at all, and is better for it. I felt like the Farrelly brothers have a lot of love for the Stooges, and it really shows up on film.

You will fall in love the 10 year old versions of Larry Moe and Curly. I would kill to see an entire movie based on them at the orphanage. IMO 10 year old Curly is channeling Vern from Stand by Me. Like, eerily a pitch perfect Vern.

So the film is broken down into 3 episodes in classic Stooges format, but its all one story. You will know where the story is going right away, but it doesn't stop it from being entertaining. There are plenty of twists that make for some laugh out loud jokes that I would hate to ruin for you here. The adult versions of Larry Moe and Curly are REALLY good. I have absolutely no complaints other than Moe's jaw looked too big. That is about it. The mannerisms are flawless, sound effects are on point, even the 'special effects' are done in a way that looks like the originals. The way a bell falls on someone, or the way the boys jump on horses. It is all done in a way that looks fake, but on purpose. The attention to detail in that department made me smile.

There is some depth to Moe that we get to see that could have failed miserably as groan inducing but really works here. I was impressed to see some nuanced range. It was just the right touch.

What really makes this movie genuinely funny though are all the peripheral characters. Everyone buys in to who they are in this universe and plenty of characters will surprise you. Every single character the Stooges interacted with in even the smallest ways brought something worthwhile to the movie...just like in the originals.

*SPOILERS* So the cast of Jersey Shore is in the movie for a short time. The only real issue I had was I thought they played the Jersey Shore gag too much. Using topical humor too much traps a movie in that time period, when The Stooges should always be timeless. With that said, they used the cast well (I hate the show) and even had a hilarious, out of left field Kardashian sisters joke. So the topical stuff was funny, but I feel definitely wasn't needed. *END SPOILERS*

The greatest respect I can give this movie is it honestly made me feel 10 years old again. I was laughing like a kid. I let go of all the criticisms I thought I would want to give it and just sat back and ENJOYED IT. Cant remember the last time I did that with this kind of movie. The audience loved it too and clapped at the end. I know right? We must all be idiots, right? Nah. Take your son, nephew or goofy buddy and sit back and enjoy some new Stooge material in 2012. Its not often they get it RIGHT, so you owe it to yourself to see it on the big screen.

58 out of 87 people found the following review useful:
The Time is Just Right for this Remake, 14 April 2012

Author: Stephen R. Taylor (esstee55@hotmail.com) from Anaheim, CA

I'm pushing 60. I've been a fan of the original Three Stooges for almost my whole life. Got all the DVDs. Read most of the books. In all that time, I have seen many imitators of all 6 Stooge-members, including Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe Besser and Curly Joe deRita. In these guys (Hayes, Sasso & Diamondapoulos), I've never seen anyone come nearly as close to the original Larry Curly & Moe. And that includes the three actors who portrayed the boys in the 2000 TV-movie bio-pic. But it isn't just that. It's the Writing and Directing of the Farrelly brothers here that really does the trick. The funniest things the original comedy trio did were the rapid-fire slapping, poking and punching, set to hilariously beautiful sound-effects. That is all presented here, perhaps even more often than in the original short films of the '30s & '40s. The time is just right for all this. This is another nostalgia trip for baby-boomers like me and so many others today. Presented in the form of one continuous 90-minute story divided into three 30-minute "short films," even the pace is perfect. I was a little leary of the brothers' apparent "need" to include Jersey Shore cast-members into the film, but that decision turned out okay. Loved this hilarious, fast-paced comedy film.

73 out of 121 people found the following review useful:
Nyuk nyuk nyuk, 11 April 2012

Author: punitivedamages from United States

The Stooge legacy exists apart from time itself – I loved them when I was nine for the eye-pokes; I loved them in later life for the knowing humor (and the eye-pokes). I loved them even though they were from a long gone era. And most people I know hold the Stooges in the same high esteem I do. Among goofy guys like me, they are the high priests. They are sacred cows.

There is a great risk in taking on a sacred cow. If nothing else, I admire the courage of the Farrelly brothers, goofy guys themselves, who would know the risks all too well. Die-hard Stooge fans might even wish for the failure of the project, if nothing else but to affirm the irreplaceable nature of the Stooges.

All that said, I admit I approached the movie skeptically. In the end, I was won over. The movie's homage to the Stooges is in getting them right. All of the slapstick humor is there; all of the wisecracks are there. These Stooges capture the craziness and the randomness of the original Stooges without trying too hard to "interpret the role" or any such silliness. It's respectful of the original.

For me, once I was comfortable with these guys as the Stooges, the fun was in seeing the Stooges in the present day, where smacking someone over the head with a sledgehammer is even less acceptable than it was in the 1930's. They goof on all sorts of present day annoyances- Jersey Shore, the Kardashians, just like they goofed on high society and other annoyances of their own time.

The bottom line: I was laughing the whole time. If you're a Stooges fan, there's a lot to like – just give the movie a chance.

58 out of 94 people found the following review useful:
Solid, Silly Fun, 14 April 2012

Author: SteveBVa from United States

This movie was a lot of fun. It remains very true to the Stooges form. So, if you are looking for some mindless laughs and a fun evening at the movies, you will enjoy this one from start to finish. Some of the reviewers here seem to have been looking for something more than this film ever promised.

If you are looking for an art house film, or an important and significant film, this one isn't it. If you are looking for a film to be as fresh as the stooges were in their time, this one stays too true to form to fit that bill. Slapstick, not sophistication is the hallmark of this film.

But if you understand the Stooges, and are just looking for some laughs, you can't go wrong here.

40 out of 66 people found the following review useful:
Good, harmless Stooge fun. A faithful tribute., 12 April 2012

Author: mrbeansholiday from United States

As a big fan of The Three Stooges since childhood, I wasn't sure how to feel about this movie. Was Hollywood selling out a beloved franchise, or was it actually attempting a faithful, big- screen tribute to one of the greatest comedy acts of all time?

This film was everything I had hoped it'd be and more. When we get to see the Moe, Larry and Curly that we all know and love, it feels like running into a couple of old friends that we haven't seen in awhile. While the appearances aren't dead on with the original Stooges, Sasso, Hayes and Diamantopolous manage to capture the very essence and mannerisms behind the original Stooges.

There's some very interesting character development for the character of Moe, something I didn't expect to find in this film. There's also an emotional depth and a light-hearted silliness that are present throughout the film, something which made the originals so great. There's a few questionable scenes here or there that don't quite feel like they fit in the film, but somehow we get the impression that if the Stooges could have gotten away with it back then they would have done the exact same thing.

The eye pokes, slaps and head bonks are all the same as you remember. They look authentic and when they are mixed with the original sound effects, you'll find yourself laughing like you were a 10 year old kid again. The Farrelly's obviously put a lot of work and research into the film, and if their goal was to make a film that the original Stooges would be proud of and that would inspire a new generation of Stooge lovers, then they have succeeded.

Don't go into this film expecting it to top the originals. No one will ever come close to them, and the makers of this film understand that. Moe Howard was a man who always believed that the show must go on. When Curly was replaced by Shemp, naturally the shorts wouldn't be as good as the Curly ones, but they were still great on their own levels. The same thing could be said when Shemp was replaced by Joe Besser, and eventually Joe DeRita. Moe knew that the golden age of the Stooges was the Moe, Larry and Curly era. That didn't stop him though, he always continued the act, because he knew people needed the Stooges. Don't think of this film as an attempt to top the originals, that's just never gonna happen. Look at it was a faithful love letter to the boys, and sit back relax and get ready to laugh like a kid again.

45 out of 79 people found the following review useful:
If you are a Stooges fan, go see this movie!, 14 April 2012

Author: jrtrotter2 from United States

As a Three Stooges fan, I was a little biased to not like this movie. It still bothers me that others made millions from the reruns, and Stooges themselves got little or nothing. I know that the Farrelly Brothers hope to profit from this film, and they deserve it. The reverence that they must have for the Stooges comes through very clearly. From the structure of the film, to the script, and to to performances, everything was perfect. The actors nailed their parts - in voice, mannerisms, and heart. I truly was as if the original Moe, Larry, and Curly were on the screen.

All of that aside, the movie was funny. I cannot remember a time when I was in a theater where there was so much laughter coming from the audience. Even my teenage daughter and her two friends laughed out loud. One scene had me laughing so hard that tears came to my eyes.

So, if you are a Three Stooges fan, this is a must see movie.

P.S. Be sure to sit through the credits. It is a Farrelly Brothers movie after all.

19 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
Knuck, knuck, knuck, knuck! I'm a victim of circumstance!, 22 April 2012

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I'm what you would call a rare commodity: a female stooge fan. When I was a little girl, every Sunday night from 1989 to 1994 there was a stooge marathon on TV and my dad and I would have popcorn and ice cream and just laugh the night away. I always wondered if it was nostalgia that I loved the stooges so much, but I still as an adult get together with my dad and will bring over a stooge DVD and watch it with him, his wife and my fiancé and still laugh like if we were seeing it for the first time. There was something so special about these guys who went through anything just to make people smile and you could tell that they loved doing so. They've inspired so many comedians today and a lot of people still consider them to be the top dogs of comedy, they really did create slap stick. So when I heard there was a movie coming out where the stooges were going to be in today's world, I just cringed, even more so when I learned it was the Farrelly brothers behind it, they're a hit or miss team. But in the surprise of 2012, we got a great comedy that I'm sure if the stooges were alive today would really enjoy and that's because of the lead actors who held this film together and had a lot of love and respect for these three knuckleheads.

Ever since Moe, Larry, and Curly were dumped on the doorstep of the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage, they have wreaked havoc on the place and have left the nuns there scared. 25 years later, the trio is still living there and attempting to help out, and taking care of the kids as well. When they get wind the orphanage will be shutting down unless they can come up with $830,000 in 30 days, the trio volunteers to go out and try to raise the money somehow. A woman named Lydia is trying to kill her husband, and offers to pay the trio the money they need to take care of the job. However, they botch the job and leave the supposed husband in traction in the hospital. When they try to visit to finish the job, they are chased throughout the hospital and escape by jumping off the roof using a fire hose. They end up running into a now grown up Teddy, a boy they lost an adoptive family too, from the orphanage, who invites them to his anniversary party. Turns out that he's the actual husband they need to kill.

What could've been a total flop turned into a very funny comedy and I think the reason it worked was because the obvious love that Sean Hayes, Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos had for the stooges. The jokes were perfect and even directly taken from some shorts. The mannerisms were also on key and you almost believe it's the real Moe, Larry and Curly on screen. Even the side characters were really funny like Sofía Vergara, Jane Lynch and Stephen Collins. I liked how we could see the stooges in an updated world where it's completely different from the 1930's. The film has a couple flaws like how they have this "heart to heart" with Moe which honestly was never apart of the stooge shorts. I can understand they have to have conflict in the movie, but it didn't work with the characters. Also there's an end credit scene where they explain the gags. I completely understand where they are coming from on this one, but really? After the film?! Why not before the film have a little disclaimer? It was lame and I'm sorry, it ruins the movie because it's like having James Cameron doing a scene after Titanic saying how the ship was CGI and none of the actors were actually hurt, it takes away from the film. Honestly, if you're too ignorant to explain to your children the difference between fantasy and film, you shouldn't be a parent. My dad explained all the gags to me when I was a kid and on top of that what kid can pick up a 20 pound hammer and hit someone in the head with it? OK, I end my rant on that. However, I think this film was a pleasant surprise and a pleasure to watch and I can't wait to add it to my stooge collection when it comes on blu ray.

8/10

29 out of 49 people found the following review useful:
This depiction of The Three Stooges in a modern day setting portrayed by other actors is a fun tribute to them, 14 April 2012

Author: tavm from Baton Rouge, La.

You know, when I read that Peter and Bobby Farrelly were going to make a movie starring actors impersonating The Three Stooges, I was a little skeptical especially when the announced stars were people like Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro. But they calmed down and instead cast actors like Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, and Chris Diamantopoulos who did fine in acting exactly like Larry, Curly, and Moe, respectively, when portraying the legendary comics. And while there's somewhat of a sentimental plot involving some orphan kids, it never goes in treacly territory as there's always some wonderfully staged slapstick scenes that undercuts that. Oh, and there's also some hilarious scenes involving the cast of "Jersey Shore". In summary, this version of The Three Stooges is highly recommended for anyone not minding seeing this legendary comedy team played by other actors or anyone who haven't even heard of them yet and wants to see more of them.

41 out of 74 people found the following review useful:
A faithful homage to a loved comedy group! Hilarious!, 13 April 2012

Author: geek621

To go into this movie expecting the original stooges is ridiculous. The Stooges are long gone. Go into this movie expecting a loving tribute to the comedic powerhouse that was "The Three Stooges" and you will come out totally satisfied. All three actors are faithful and accurate in their imitation of the beloved characters. (I emphasize "IMITATION" because no-one can ever truly replace or replicate the originals.) The actors do a great job bringing the antics of the stooges into the modern day and civilization, while still sticking to the classic roots that made the stooges, "The Stooges". The director and everyone involved in the production of this film are obviously huge fans for working so hard to maintain the integrity of the franchise while modernizing it as well. All in all, a fantastic homage to a classic comedy routine.

22 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
"Pure of heart, dim of wit", 13 April 2012

Author: Rehash Critics from United States

"Pure of heart, dim of wit" is exactly what you get. One-liners and slapstick comedy galore. I couldn't stop from laughing out loud in several scenes as these morons continued their idiotic ways. But idiotic stopped at stupid with some fairly clever lines. I had expected the Farrelly directors to bring the Stooges into modern times in more creative ways (at times successful) than they had. A lot of the expected happened when of lot of the unexpected could have. But that doesn't stop the "close to the heart" Stooges from making us laugh.

I enjoyed how the Farrelly directors included a comparison of today's crap television to good ol' American traditional television. If you watch either of the shows compared, be embarrassed. You deserve it!

You can't ask for much more when it comes to acting by the Three Stooges, honestly it was brilliantly executed. Although Will Sasso has to be shaking his head wondering, "Why do my hands curl up in every scene?"

The cinematography could have used some love, just a little extra to add to the quality of the film. We could have used some aging, some finer scenery, and maybe some variety in set.

The PG rated comedy brought humor for all ages. From making the old ladies next to me snort to making the kids behind me kicking my seat laugh, it had a little bit of everything. But the broad audience appeal also stretches its ability to deliver a memorable performance. Watch, you will all forget about it until Blue-Ray (or DVD, no offense) release and then easily pass it up on the shelves.

But was this humor for all ages comedy worth the admission? By the hair of Curly's chin. You can't roll your eyes because you know what you are getting into. You will have no choice but to let the Stooges take you over. Price of admission, sign me up. Anything more, I'm out.

Cinematography: 4/10 Writing: 7/10 Acting: 7/10 Overall: 6/10

***Take great grandma, she will put you in the will for letting her relive her wonder years! Ike -Rehash Critics

Page 1 of 17:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Add another review

Related Links