"Pure of heart, dim of wit" is exactly what you get. One-liners and slapstick comedy galore. I couldn't stop from laughing out loud in several scenes as these morons continued their idiotic ways. But idiotic stopped at stupid with some fairly clever lines. I had expected the Farrelly directors to bring the Stooges into modern times in more creative ways (at times successful) than they had. A lot of the expected happened when of lot of the unexpected could have. But that doesn't stop the "close to the heart" Stooges from making us laugh.

I enjoyed how the Farrelly directors included a comparison of today's crap television to good ol' American traditional television. If you watch either of the shows compared, be embarrassed. You deserve it!

You can't ask for much more when it comes to acting by the Three Stooges, honestly it was brilliantly executed. Although Will Sasso has to be shaking his head wondering, "Why do my hands curl up in every scene?"

The cinematography could have used some love, just a little extra to add to the quality of the film. We could have used some aging, some finer scenery, and maybe some variety in set.

The PG rated comedy brought humor for all ages. From making the old ladies next to me snort to making the kids behind me kicking my seat laugh, it had a little bit of everything. But the broad audience appeal also stretches its ability to deliver a memorable performance. Watch, you will all forget about it until Blue-Ray (or DVD, no offense) release and then easily pass it up on the shelves.

But was this humor for all ages comedy worth the admission? By the hair of Curly's chin. You can't roll your eyes because you know what you are getting into. You will have no choice but to let the Stooges take you over. Price of admission, sign me up. Anything more, I'm out.

Cinematography: 4/10 Writing: 7/10 Acting: 7/10 Overall: 6/10

***Take great grandma, she will put you in the will for letting her relive her wonder years! Ike -Rehash Critics

I'm someone who falls into the category of life-long Three Stooges fan, so I was naturally quite excited (and curious) when I heard about this movie, especially when I saw it was being directed by latter-day laugh- meisters The Farelly Brothers. We are not going to get it here in the UK until late July, but fortunately a friend had obtained a copy which I have just watched. Right from the outset, the very idea of making a feature length Three Stooges movie set in the present day with imitators makes the film more of a conceptual experiment than an actual film, rather like the infamous Gus Van Sant "Psycho" recreation. The actors playing the Stooges, while not resembling them physically, make an excellent tribute act, capturing the spirit of the long dead stars and bringing them back to life for the modern audience. The Farelleys also do a good job of name-checking and recreating some of the Stooges famous routines. The eye pokes, hits, redecoration becomes destruction routine, lousy business ideas, getting squirted in the face, random animal abuse (done for real in the originals alas!), crazy vehicles, cartoonish use of explosives and a racing off into the distance ending, are all present and correct. This part of the movie works well. It is what has been added on that creates problems. The original movies were 15-20 minutes long, and had a basic high concept plot, explained in the first few seconds by supporting actors, upon which the three then incorporated several of their well-rehearsed routines, and they did not so much end as simply finish on a random punch line or gag. There was next to no character development because there was no need for these characters to develop – They were the mythopoeic agents of chaos and destruction, wrecking the pretensions and hypocrisy of those who lived only to raise their social station and conform to their society's norms, be they the nouveau riche, the law, the army, academia, medicine, or business. Yet at the same time they too had pretensions of their own, of skill and ability which they obviously did not possess, and so they were unwitting agents of destruction just as guilty as their victims, together bringing the whole silly civilized house of cards falling on their heads in the classic tradition of satire and comedy. One thing notably absent from their films was pathos and sentimentalism. One or two films had elements of this, cute kids or old ladies in need of help, where the Stooges were hired for their skill not their absence of it, but these were far and few between because they did not work in the basic theme outlined above. One can understand why, in making a full length feature film in 2012, they should introduce the "loser finds out it's all about relationships and friendship, learns life lessons and becomes a better person who knows what really matters" plot line. After all, the Farelleys virtually patented this structure in the modern cinema, but not only is this structure the complete antithesis of everything the Stooges stood for, but it's also now as old-hat and shop-worn as slapstick itself. It undercuts the brilliant work done by actors and directors in recreating the Stooges to then put them into so formulaic and tired a storyline. There is even a sick little girl and her best friend sub-plot which seems to be played completely straight, heightening what is already a dangerously high sugar count to almost fatal levels. Commercially it all makes sense, appealing to current audience taste and guaranteeing box office, but it makes what could have been something truly exciting into something ordinary and routine, a Farellely Brothers film featuring the Three Stooges rather than a Three Stooges film directed by the Farelleys. The noted "Three short films" structure is a nice nod to the originals but doesn't work as it is simply dividing up a single narrative into the usual three act structure rather than giving us three self-contained adventures. Jane Lynch, one of the funniest women in the world, plays straight woman here, and the main plot does indeed seem to be "borrowed" from the Blues Brothers. If it had been left as a "high concept" peg on which to hang the Stooges craziness, as in the originals, that would have been fine, but it's played out for real, just like the "Postman always rings twice" murder storyline, both of which become more important than the Stooges themselves .Adding "Jersey Shore" is an attempt to be very cutting edge and at the same time put some of the old anarchy into it, but it doesn't work either. The brothers dip their toes into the water so many times, only to pull back out again rather than go in. I hope I have not been too harsh on this film. It is obviously a labour of love, and a tribute to some of the greatest comedians of all time, with excellent recreations. It's simply that the result is so formulaic, hackneyed, unoriginal, and horribly sentimental and schmaltzy. But if it makes young people more aware of the originals, and brings them back into fashion (as cover versions do with the originals) then all the better for it.

I had high expectations especially with the Farrelly brothers at the helm. They cast three guys who fit the stooges to a tee. The performances by Sasso, Hayes, and Diamantopoulos are superb. They hit the nail on the head mimicking the original stooges.

The story is about the Stooges raising money to save an Orphanage, and the trouble they get into trying to reach their goal..

There are great shtick scenes that made me laugh, especially the Orphanage Bell scene where Larry David dressed as a nun gets clobbered. You have to see the build up to get the full effect of the gag. The film had some other sequences which were very stooge, such as pratfalls, pokes, slaps and running away from the bad guys. But for some reason the story fell apart with scenes that just didn't fit.  I mean do the Stooges need a cameo by the Jersey Shore cast to be funny?

Other scenes missed the mark. When I saw the Stooges in tuxes at an upscale party with food around, I figured here's a recipe for a classic food fight, with a pun just before the person gets whacked in the face with a pie, cake or some other party food. The build up of the party scene shows promise with Larry getting a pant full of lobster. But it falls flat after that when they throw the lobster, shoot a balloon and a little girl falls into a cake.

I liked some of this film, but it wasn't worth paying to go see at the theater. I should have waited for the DVD.