The long-awaited sequel is a tricky thing to pull off. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was a box office disaster nine years after the first Sin City wowed theatergoers. But such gaps pale in comparison to Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser, which shows off its sick puppies (i.e. Joe’s biceps) some fourteen years after David Spade first gave life to Joe Dirt. And you know what? It still kinda works.
This movie isn’t for anyone who didn’t at least somewhat enjoy the first Joe Dirt, which premiered in theaters in April 2001. Back then most critics didn’t find much value in the sweet, silly tale of a lovable redneck trekking cross country to find his long lost parents. But the movie had its supporters and developed something of a cult appreciation. Some viewers -- myself included -- found Joe’s self-deprecating trailer park everyman endearing. It wasn’t so much the zany characters and pratfalls as Joe’s ill-advised bravado, his total lack of guile and his goofy catchphrases. (Life’s a garden. Dig it!) Something about a simple, resilient outcast getting the short end of the stick but never losing his generous spirit resonated. Despite a fourteen-year gap, all those same pieces still fit together, making Joe Dirt 2 an appropriate love letter to fans of the original.
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This movie isn’t for anyone who didn’t at least somewhat enjoy the first Joe Dirt, which premiered in theaters in April 2001. Back then most critics didn’t find much value in the sweet, silly tale of a lovable redneck trekking cross country to find his long lost parents. But the movie had its supporters and developed something of a cult appreciation. Some viewers -- myself included -- found Joe’s self-deprecating trailer park everyman endearing. It wasn’t so much the zany characters and pratfalls as Joe’s ill-advised bravado, his total lack of guile and his goofy catchphrases. (Life’s a garden. Dig it!) Something about a simple, resilient outcast getting the short end of the stick but never losing his generous spirit resonated. Despite a fourteen-year gap, all those same pieces still fit together, making Joe Dirt 2 an appropriate love letter to fans of the original.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...