The Three Stooges (2012) - A Movie Review

Don’t worry, we have the three stooges on the job. What’s the worst that could happen?

The Three Stooges is a 2012 film based on the famous short films. The Stooges childhood orphanage is in trouble of closing down. In search of money, Moe, Larry, and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot that includes one of their old pals.

I have always been a long-time fan of The Three Stooges. My family and I have watched every single episode that exists. I saw The Three Stooges movie twice in theaters. It was an adventure I’ll never forget. After a decade, I watched the film again and I agree with viewers that it could have been better.

The casting for the stooges is the film’s best strength. Chris Diamontopoulos, Sean Haynes, and Will Sasso are excellent as the iconic stooges. They’re easily the best part of the film. The scene that my family and I laughed the most at was the bell tower scene. Larry’s ‘Donut Remover’ line is forever iconic.

While they do a great job of mimicking the stooges, some of their comedy is awkward due to the story's direction. As they endlessly slapped each other around, this film missed an opportunity to explore more of the dynamic between the comedic trio.

The trio parts way in the middle of the film but the idea is never expanded on. That was the most original idea that’s never been done in the shorts. The Stooges separating was a door to explore their relationship which is a subtle aspect in the shorts.

This film is about the Stooges so the supporting cast shouldn’t have taken away from their limelight. The actors didn’t fit in with the stooge setting and were too recognizable. For example, Sophia Vergara. Why is she in this movie? As funny as she is, Vergara was out of place. Jennifer Hudson and Kate Upton’s casting as nuns doesn’t make sense either.

More credits include Jane Lynch, Craig Bierko, Stephen Collins, and Kirby Heyborne. Larry David and Brian Doyle-Murray fit the stooge setting.

Not enough credit merits Skyler Gisondo, Lance Chantiles-Wertz, and Robert Capron as the stooges when they were kids. Seeing how there was never a Stooges short with the trio as kids, they were spot-on with their performances.

The problem is that Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly had too many ideas. They didn’t need to enforce themes about modern changes. The Three Stooges was made in a different era and we understand that. The movie fell on lazy writing. The Jersey Shore did not need to be in this movie. That subplot went nowhere!

The film shined whenever the story successfully copied the nature of the Stooge shorts. All the scenes with the stooges are the best. The film successfully recreates the slapstick humor that made the original Three Stooges shorts famous. The slap and punch sound effects were from the original shorts.

That being said, the film is more for audiences who know The Three Stooges. The slapstick comedy has not aged well. It was a smart idea to include a segment at the end of the film to warn children about the slapstick violence. Physical violence is not appropriate.

A better handle on the story would have made this film stand out. Still, it's worth it to take a look at the movie adaptation of The Three Stooges. The jokes are not going to land with some audiences but you never know you may find yourself laughing. Watch an original Three Stooges short while you’re at it.