1.85:1 Widescreen

I don’t know what it is that makes men enjoy stupid comedies so much. Maybe it is our inner bully, lashing out at the weaknesses of those around us, and thus proving our superiority. Maybe it's because it's such a relaxing break from the stress of our busy working lives. Maybe it is because laughing at idiots makes us feel better about our own questionable level of intelligence. Whatever it is, it is clear that laughing at the ignorance of others is a basic male trait. There is a point, however, when the subject of o...r mirth can become so simple, so unbelievably stupid, that the tables turn from riotous laughter to groans of pain and embarrassment. The line is a thin one, but it is distinct.

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd doesn’t just cross that line, it races past it on the way to pointless oblivion. This is a film that truly lives up to its name. What made the original film so funny was watching the interaction between the sublime ignorance of the two main characters and the relative normalcy of the world around them. Ideally, Harry and Lloyd should be the only two stupid people in their circle of influence. In this film, however, virtually every character on the screen is either dumb, or even dumber…er. Without this contrast, the film becomes a close-up look at a world filled with ignorance, and the "relative stupidity" aspect of the story is gone.

Willis O’Brien, the f/x magician behind King Kong and The Lost World, had always wanted to do a cowboys and dinosaurs film. It is no surprise that his prodigy Ray Harryhausen would accomplish the task. Using some of O’Brien’s design ideas, Harryhausen credibly put these two film icons together with mixed results. The script is certainly not the best Harryhausen had to work with. More Bronco Billy than Jurassic Park, this is more an entertaining film than anything to be taken seriously. James Franciscus does a fine job of playing to the f/x.

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Tim Allan is back as Santa Clause, and this time he is on a mission… to find a wife. The Santa Clause 2 is a good family Christmas tale, and though it is not as effective as its predecessor, it still has Christmas charm and a number of cute scenes. The story is a little flawed, and many scenes rely on childish antics to survive, but those elements add to the family-friendly nature of the film.

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