The Three Stooges (2012)

While trying to save their childhood orphanage, Moe, Larry and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality television show.

Directors:

Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Writers:

Mike Cerrone, Bobby Farrelly

Stars:

Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos, Will Sasso

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Hayes	...	Larry
Will Sasso	...	Curly
Chris Diamantopoulos	...	Moe
Jane Lynch	...	Mother Superior
Sofía Vergara	...	Lydia
Jennifer Hudson	...	Sister Rosemary
Craig Bierko	...	Mac
Stephen Collins	...	Mr. Harter
Larry David	...	Sister Mary-Mengele
Kirby Heyborne	...	Teddy
Carly Craig	...	Mrs. Harter
Kate Upton	...	Sister Bernice
Marianne Leone	...	Sister Ricarda
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Monsignor Ratliffe
Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino	...	The Situation (as Michael Sorrentino)

Storyline

Left on the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns at birth, three friends Moe, Larry and Curly spend their time eye poking and slapping each other all the day long. But when their orphanage suddenly goes bankrupt, the three Stooges set out to save it by journeying into the world to find a way to raise the money required. But their quest brings them into being used in a murder scheme and landing them into a popular reality show.

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Plot Keywords:

pistol | revolver | escape | rooftop | hospital | 

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Taglines:

Stupidity loves company.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for slapstick action violence, some rude and suggestive humor including language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cher was considered for the role of Mother Superior.

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Goofs

When Teddy's wife sprays toothpaste in his face, we see his face doesn't have any toothpaste on it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sister Mary-Mengele: [an orphan says "We're not just orphans" as the orphans play a game of kick the can; Sister Mary-Mengele blows her whistle] Everybody inside! Come on, time for your chores!
Murph: But Sister Mary-Mengele, the game's tied! Can't we just play another couple of minutes? Please?
Sister Mary-Mengele: No, you can't. Now get inside! And pick up that soccer can and put it back in the equipment shed where it belongs!
Peezer: Wait a second, Sis, you gotta hear us out!
Murph: [sings] We didn't ask for this
Peezer: [sings] We didn't pray for this
Hipster Orphan: [...]

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Crazy Credits

Right before the end credits, 2 actors posing as the Farrelly Brothers appear on screen to deliver a "Don't Try This At Home" announcement. Also, towards the end of the closing credits, there is a music video featuring The Three Stooges and 'Jennifer Hudson'.

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Alternate Versions

The UK theatrical version was cut for a PG rating, to remove the following imitable techniques:

• A vegetable peeler used on a man's head.
• A cheese grater used on a man's foot.
• Hair tongs used on a woman's tongue.
• A man's head being shoved into a microwave.
• A verbal reference to playing with matches.

The uncut version was rated 12 on video.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Osmosis Jones (2015)

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Soundtracks

Three Blind Mice (Main Title)
Traditional
Arranged by Leigh Harline and Ben Oakland

User Reviews

Three bumbling morons with bad tempers get caught up in a murder plot while trying to save their orphanage.

The opening of this movie has a lot going for it. The screen looks bright and vibrant, like a classic THREE STOOGES short with the Stooges' theme song (a jazzy version of "Three Blind Mice") playing. They even give the different parts of the movie names, like each are different shorts. I found the opening was a pay-off for my sense of nostalgia. And, to the Farrelly Brothers' credit, they worked hard to make the movie more than a bland homage to classic physical comedy.

The opening was the best part by far. The movie presents the early years for the Stooges, so naturally, there are Stooges babies. There's nothing quite like watching a kid do a Moe impression. The child-as-Stooge presence on screen makes the ability to appreciate a joke much easier.

The movie would've been so much better if they had kept the child Stooges!

Instead, the children go away, and we meet the all new (adult) Three Stooges! This is where that aforementioned effort of the Farrelly Brothers to make the movie different fades considerably. The new Stooges are terrible actors, or at least act that way. To be fair, the movie gives these violent people with child-level IQ's large amounts of dialogue. But, considering the acrobatic technique of the original "gang of stoogery", having them stand around and chat with each other is blasphemy! Well, OK, they don't just "stand around". It is a 3 Stooges movie, so of course they have to beat each other up. The problem is that the directors think that standing around and beating each other up is the same thing.

Moe punches Curly, Larry tells Moe he shouldn't punch Curly. *Punch, punch, eye poke, ear pull, etc.!* This happens for huge chunks of the movie, and the characters awkwardly stand around while talking about their troubles.

This brings up a huge problem, the "story". The orphanage needs a lot of money, so the Stooges promise to get it. They go to the big city. Sofia Vergara and Craig Bierko try to get them to kill Sofia's husband for the cash. And they just won't stop talking about it! You could say that this is just a kids' movie, which is a fair defense, I suppose. But the jokes they squeeze in between the plot-based banter are just more Stooges punching people in the face, or large objects falling on people. It wasn't funny the second time, or the twelfth.

And throughout the movie, the audience is treated to Larry David playing an angry nun. But his character points out the basic problem that undermines the movie. Hearing angry nun dialogue like "You Stooges always mess everything up!" is made funnier when said in Larry David's voice. But it's still generic dialogue. Just as the mere presence of Jane Lynch as the head nun doesn't mean anything funny is going on.

Like I've mentioned, the Farrelly brothers really did try to make this a different movie from time to time. The highlight, probably, was when Moe gets cast in Jersey Shore. The movie didn't exploit this nearly as well as it could have (Moe punched cast members, mostly), but at least it was an original thought.

The Farrelly Brothers also tried to spruce it up with what I have to call the "Farrelly" technique. Surprisingly gross comedy! The fight scene with babies as excretory weapons was cringe-worthy, as well as the image of a lion getting hit "below the belt". It just didn't fit the good-natured, child-like nature of the Stooges. And it wasn't very funny.

This movie, when it was really trying to be exciting, was like any action comedy. Attempted plot resolution leads to attempted violence and running around. I know nostalgia is supposed to be a bad thing, but surely the presence of "Stooges as heroes" should stop a movie from looking like BEVERLY HILLS COP or so many other movies like it!

As a big Stooges fan, I did like some of the re-creations of the old shorts, and there were a few hard-earned laughs along the way. But this movie was too confident in the ability of the Stooges to make boring crap funny.

– Jason Luna

This review first appeared in Geek Speak Magazine - www.geekspeakmagazine.com

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Three Stooges

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,010,125, 15 April 2012

Gross USA:

$44,338,224

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$54,819,301

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Conundrum Entertainment, Wessler Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1