Although not perfect, this raunchy comic re-visiting of the 1972 Elaine May film goes a long way towards restoring the edgy reputation that writers/directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly cultivated with their earlier work, particularly "There's Something About Mary" and "Kingpin" (before Judd Apatow stepped in and claimed the mantle with "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up"). It's definitely not for all tastes and some may find it a tad too cynical and bitter, especially in its twist ending (which I won't reveal here, but will definitely divide viewers...for the record, I loved it). But the film delivers some honest-to-goodness belly laughs along the way, along with a few scenes guaranteed to gross-out and/or shock any thin-skinned audience member who may wander in unaware of the directors' reputation.
One observation...I find it curious that it seems a lot of critics are NOW referring to the 1972 film as something of a "comedy classic" in the wake of this remake. I can't recall very many of them mentioning that film when the subject (or even the occasional critics poll, unofficial or not) of "classic comedies" pops up. To be fair, I haven't seen the 1972 film, but I do understand that they differ substantially aside from the basic premise. That said, I believe they both should be judged separately and on each others' merits.
One observation...I find it curious that it seems a lot of critics are NOW referring to the 1972 film as something of a "comedy classic" in the wake of this remake. I can't recall very many of them mentioning that film when the subject (or even the occasional critics poll, unofficial or not) of "classic comedies" pops up. To be fair, I haven't seen the 1972 film, but I do understand that they differ substantially aside from the basic premise. That said, I believe they both should be judged separately and on each others' merits.