The Three Stooges - C

Rated PG, 92 minutes

I'll just say this: I didn't totally hate the new Farrelly Brothers comedy remake "The Three Stooges," which updates the goofy trio to modern times. You might think, based on the woefully unfunny trailers for the film, that it's essentially an update for the "Dumb and Dumber" set, the type of lowbrow humor the Farrelly's are often known for and could go wrong in so so many ways. However, "The Three Stooges" turns out to be a pleasantly entertaining, serviceably charming family film that eventually grows on you after awhile; while not a great film by any means, it's still not terrible either. It actually helps that the Farrelly's cast lesser known actors in film as the stooges: Sean Hayes (from "Will & Grace" and the most recognizable of the three) as Larry, Will Sasso as Curly and relative unknown Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe. They're all serviceable, if lackluster performances, but they're surrounded by more talented, well-known actors and comedians who nearly steal the film from them, including Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (whose brief rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" is a highlight) and perhaps the most inspired of the cast: "Curb Your Enthusiam's" Larry David as a rather crusty nun (it's funnier than it sounds). The film is split into three episodes as it chronicles the stooges from birth to their adulthood and foray into the modern world, and they progressively get better, that or the Stooges simply wear you down after while. The first gag-laden episode is the most unfunny and mean spirited, while the last is the most amusing, especially as Moe joins the cast of "Jersey Shore" (it's a nice, modern touch seeing Moe beat up on the "JS" cast). "The Three Stooges" works surprisingly well if you go in with low enough expectations; a lightweight, mediocre Farrelly production that could've been far, far worse when you think about it.