The Three Stooges a Real Parent Review

The Three Stooges were a slap stick comedy team that was considered "old fashioned" when I was just a kid.  I still remember though, that they made me laugh every time I watched them.  The choreography of their stunts including slapping, eye gouges, bops to the head and various other methods of punishing each other for various transgressions was beyond funny to me.  I found that as I grew older and found the Stooges while channel surfing late at night (or early in the morning) the episodes made me laugh all over again.  Their comedy seemed to be something that almost anyone could enjoy.  As we were preparing to go see the new movie I was hoping, just don't screw this up Farrelly Bros.  This stuff is funny just the way it was, don't try to change the formula too much."

I have to say that for the most part the Farrelly brothers stuck to the Stooges formula and really did get this one right. The three actors that play the Stooges are really spot on for the most part with Will Sasso as Curly absolutely nailing the role perfectly.  His routines with the dancing in place and snapping his fingers and hands have me chuckling to myself now while writing this.  I took 2 5th graders (1 girl and 1 boy), one 8th grader and 2 10th graders to the movie with me.  All of them laughed continuously through the entire movie.    They all told me afterwards they greatly enjoyed it and thought it was VERY funny.  They laughed all the way home as they recounted various scenes.  The movie is rated PG and is appropriate for almost any age child (except for very young ones).  I can't recall any bad language and the only violence is of the slap stick variety and generally completely over the top (such as a bell falling from the bell tower onto one of the Sisters and then a series of other falls that take place right after that).  There is a scene that involves a number of babies peeing (I wont spoil it for you) that was not even remotely offensive.  This is one of those movies that you AND your children will enjoy together, especially if you are a fan of the old school stooges.

The movie starts off a little slow as they give you the back story of how the Stooges came to live in an orphanage.  This first scene introduces you to one of the other best characters in the movie (and most inspired casting job ever), Sister Mary-Mengele played by Larry David (yes, that Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld).  While her name is meant to bring visions of a ruthless nun who rules with an iron fist over her orphans, you also see glimpses of how much she cares for the children, even the Stooges who torture her endlessly. The children start to break into a song in front of her and before they can even get through the first verse she yells at them, "What do you think this is, The Sound of Music?" and off the movie goes.  I almost don't want you to know that this character is played by Larry David because the discovery of that while you are watching will be very funny.  There is one pivotal scene in this beginning episode, with a family who comes to adopt one of the Stooges which drives the rest of the film.  I will not spoil the ending except to say that it all comes together in the end.

  

As the kids grow up in the next episode we start to see the Stooges that we recognize from the early films of the past.  They still have not been adopted and continue to live at the Orphanage.  As events unfold it forces the Stooges to have to go out into the world to raise money to save the Orphanage (ala The Blues Brothers). As they are unleashed on an unsuspecting world the slapstick begins and the laughs do not end until well after you get out of your seat and leave the theater.  Go and enjoy this movie and let us know which part made you laugh the most.  (Oh, and Moms, don't forget to let your husbands know that Sofia Vergara plays a very prominent role in the movie.  I'll leave it at that.)

You can watch the trailer for the movie here and after you are done laughing, go see this movie!

Three Stooges Trailer