Nerd in the 'Noke

Dumb and Dumber To (2014), PG-13, 109 minutes - 1994's Dumb and Dumber is, to this day, one of my favorite comedies of all-time.  Friends of mine will tell you that it is one of a handful of films that are repeatedly quoted by me on an almost daily basis.  2003's prequel Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (made by no one associated with the original) is a film the world is better off not remembering (my apologies for mentioning it here).  So when the Farrelly brothers announced that after twenty years, they would be releasing a sequel with original stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, I was curious to say the least. Dumb and Dumber To takes place twenty years after the events of the first film.  Time has passed, but Harry and Lloyd haven't changed a bit.  They embark on a quest to find Harry's up-to-know-unknown-about daughter Penny, and reunite her with her mother Fraida Felcher (Kathleen Turner), whom we've heard of in passing from the first film. ...

Kick-Ass 2 (2013), R, 103 minutes  - I'm a few days later with this review than I had originally planned, but after seeing Kick-Ass 2 I felt the need to go back and read the the two comic mini-series that it adapts (2010's Kick-Ass 2 and 2012's Hit-Girl - both by Kick-Ass creators Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.).  I thoroughly enjoyed the adaptation of Kick-Ass in 2010 ( my review can be seen here ), but for some reason this sequel wasn't really on my radar.  Perhaps this is because I had yet to read the source material, or maybe because there have been other films this summer that I was anticipating much more.  In either case, I was pleased with the outcome in general. Kick-Ass 2 picks up not too long after the end of the first film.  Mindy Macready (Chloe Grace Moretz), also known as Hit-Girl is trying to adjust to a normal teenage life now that she is living with her adoptive father Detective Marcus Williams (Morris Chestnut) and his non-vigilante rules...

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), PG-13, 100 minutes - As much as I enjoy comedies, over the last couple of years I've found myself not all that impressed with the majority of the films I've seen in that genre.  The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, while not groundbreaking, was an entertaining and enjoyable parody of a Vegas stage act personality. Title character Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) is a self made magician who discovered magic when he was given a Rance Holloway Magic Kit as a kid.  He and his childhood friend Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have headlined a Vegas show for years, the only problem being that they've never changed their act and the Vegas crowds are growing tired of the same old show.  Right about this same time, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), a new breed of magician (think Chris Angel or David Blaine) is gaining popularity on the streets of Vegas with his crazy stunts.  In an attempt to modernize their act, Anton puts together a trick/stunt...