Synopsis: Based on the hit film Dumb and Dumber, this prequel takes a look at the year 1986. The year that Harry Dunne first met Lloyd Christmas in high school and a historic friendship was formed.

Now for the Zone's Eye View:

By Michelle Snow

Director: Troy Miller

Cast: Eric Christian Olsen, Derek Richardson, Rachel Nichols, Cheri Oteri, Luis Guzmán, Elden Henson, William Lee Scott, Mimi Rogers, Eugene Levy, Lin Shaye and Shia LaBeouf

Set in 1986, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd takes a look back at the year that Harry Dunne first met Lloyd Christmas. Harry [Richardson] is a stringy haired adolescent being raised by his single mother [Rogers]. He's been home schooled up to this point, but now his mother is sending him to public school for the first time. Other than the imaginary, Captain Ron, Harry has no friends. Lloyd [Olsen] is also living with a single parent, his father [Guzmán], who happens to be the high school janitor. For some reason, the duo also lives at the school, in the basement. 

On the first day of school, the manic Lloyd rushes to catch his bus-even though he already is at school-and runs headlong into the dimwitted Harry. The two become fast friends and are soon targeted by the evil Principal Collins [Levy]. Collins and his mistress, the lunch lady [Oteri], have been bilking the school of thousands of dollars in grants and donations, and they just need one more scheme to retire to Waikiki. Learning of a grant of $100,000 for a special needs class, the two find the perfect patsies in Harry and Lloyd. But the school's star reporter [Nichols] is onto them, and she's determined to expose their wrongdoings. In the end, however, it's Harry and Lloyd who save the day, in their own misguided fashion.

I really wanted to like this movie. After all, the original is one of my Top 10 favorite comedies of all time. But other than the two title characters, there was really nothing similar between Dumb and Dumber and this movie. And even that was a stretch as the laughable, likeable characters of Harry and Lloyd were reduced to mere caricatures. Though I do commend Olsen and Richardson for being very close in their impersonations of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, the stars of the original. 

This movie is heavily formulatic, with jokes that you could see coming a mile away. Other than a few random belly laughs, nothing in this comedy elicited much more than mild snickering. I was also mystified that many of the "outtakes" that are shown during the closing credits were actually funnier than what was left in. And that's a shame, because this film really could've been a contender. 
Forget the Dumb, this movie is just Dumberer. Wait for cable to see it. 
4 out of 10