Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Amazon notified me via email that the new Farrelly Brothers' "The Three Stooges" was ready to be pre-ordered, so I linked over to do so--I hadn't had that much fun in a movie theater in a long time, and couldn't wait to re-visit the film at home along with the usual bounty of DVD extras the Farrellys usually provide (I hope). Imagine my shock when I read the supposedly authoritative "Amazon.com Editorial Review" posted at the film's page with the reviewer saying it was the Farrellys' "weakest effort to date" and "terminally unfunny." Look, I'm smart enough to know one review is just one person's opinion, and that comedy is very personal and a heckuva lot harder to pull off than drama (what's funny to one person is often simply irritating or annoying to another), but when the review is posted on a film's page as the authoritative last word, I have to put my two-cents in. Here's my short review: I either smiled, chuckled, or laughed out loud through the ENTIRE running time of this film, and that very rarely happens for me, hence my 5-star rating. Most comedies, even the best, have slow spots you wait out until the next laugh--it's often the natural flow of a film to have peaks and valleys, but this film had none for me--it was all peaks. Every scene had something for me to at least smile at, whether it was the Stooges themselves, Jane Lynch as a Mother Superior (!), Larry David as a cranky nun (!), Lin Shaye showing up out of the blue in a small role (I love her), Sofia Vergara gamely sparring with the guys, or small touches, surprises, and sight gags that flew by so fast you knew you'd be laughing all over again when you saw it a second time (if we'd had the time we would've gladly stayed to watch it a second time the day we saw it--the friend I saw it with had as much fun watching it as I did). The three leads were perfectly cast, and if you know the Stooges, you'll appreciate even more how perfect they are. It's uncanny how close they are to the originals, and the entire production feels like a respectful and loving homage to them. There is no doubt in my mind the film will spark even more appreciation and discovery of the original Stooges and their huge body of work, and that's exactly what you hope for: that the new film not only succeeds on its own but sparks viewers' interest, appreciation, and respect for the originals.