You knew it was coming, I knew it was coming, but we were NOT prepared. Dumb and Dumber To is in cinemas this weekend. Naturally, the first instinct of most critics was to RIP IT TO SHREDS. With just 27% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, the question of the day seems to be: “Why, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, WHY?”

Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels
It's just not the same, guys.

So what exactly is wrong with it? To quote Rolling Stone’s  Peter Travers, “Time can be cruel, especially to sequels.” According to Travers – as well as a host of other reviewers, gags have an expiration date and the ones in D&D are way past theirs. But it’s not like the sequel is completely irredeemable – it just falls far short of the original. “. This isn’t some cynical piece of garbage like Another 48 Hrs. Carrey and Daniels are in there working hard and almost getting their tricky rhythms back. On paper, the premise sounds more than serviceable,” David Edelstein writes for Vulture.

Watch the trailer below. If you dare. 

Screen Rant’s Ben Kendrick also has a few (very few) kind words to say. It’s not awful and a few of the jokes land. And that’s about it, really. The timing is off, the writing is off, the comedic balance is waaaay off. “Both Carrey and Daniels are comfortable in their respective roles but this round their performances are, in spite of high-energy antics, less enthusiastic overall.

More: Dumb and Dumber To: Everything You Need To Know

In fact, the balance between the two leads is pretty disjointed: Daniels speaks his lines but mainly looks for his co-star to sell the punchlines whereas Carrey, in turn, makes Lloyd even louder and more obnoxious than he was twenty years back.”

More: Jim Carrey Makes A Spectacular Return In Dumb and Dumber To, But Who Really Is Dumber?

 

There you have it. If you’re feeling nostalgic and/or have absolutely nothing better to do, give Dumb and Dumber To a go. But the original would make a more enjoyable, less expensive option.