The Three Stooges Movie Review

The Three Stooges Shockya.com Movie Review, Written by: Karen Benardello

Directors: Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Starring: Sean Hayes, Will Sasso (TV’s ‘Family Guy’), Chris Diamantopoulos (TV’s ’24′), Sophia Vergera and Jane Lynch



Adapting a beloved comedy act from the mid-20th century into a modern-day feature film can put pressure on even the most experienced comedy screenwriters and directors, including acclaimed filmmakers Bobby and Peter Farrelly. While the two writers-directors seem like the perfect duo to script and helm the contemporary film adaptation of ‘The Three Stooges,’ their modernization of the comedy group unfortunately failed to capture the true essence of the popular act. The Farrellys had a commendable idea in bringing ‘The Three Stooges’ to a younger audience, but ultimately didn’t include any new ideas for the trio.

‘The Three Stooges’ follows three newborns, Moe (later played by Chris Diamantopoulos as an adult), Larry (portrayed by Will Sasso) and Curly (played by Sean Hayes), as they’re left on the doorstep of an orphanage run by Mother Superior (portrayed by Jane Lynch) and her nuns. While the three are initially embraced by the nuns, they grow up pulling pranks on everyone in the orphanage. As adults, the three are employed as the foster home’s inept maintenance men, and are determined to help save the orphanage when it accumulates debt and can no longer afford to stay open.

To make money, Moe, Larry and Curly are hired by Lydia (played by Sophia Vergera) to kill her husband, who inadvertently turns out to be one of the kids the stooges grew up with, Teddy (portrayed by Kirby Heyborne). When the three refuse to kill their long-lost friend, they become determined to find another way to raise the money to save the orphanage.

The Farrellys have been involved with the stooge’s big screen adaptation since 2001 and aimed to modernize their story, but ‘The Three Stooges’ unfortunately failed to live up to the filmmakers’ previous hit comedies, such as ‘Dumb and Dumber’ and ‘There’s Something About Mary.’ While ‘The Three Stooges’ does touch on such contemporary issues as protecting orphans in foster homes and a spouse who is only in a marriage for money, the Farrellys didn’t incorporate any modern physical comedy to appeal to younger audiences. The directors proclaimed they didn’t want to make a remake of the original comedy act, but the slapping, tripping and other slapstick comedy feels dated and unoriginal.



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