THE THREE STOOGES
Hilarious slapstick with a surprisingly tender, morally uplifting heart.
Should You Watch It?
If you enjoy the Three Stooges’ distinctive brand of slapstick, this modern adaptation delivers. Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, and Chris Diamantopoulos look and talk like the originals, while the film surrounds their chaos with surprisingly touching scenes about friendship, dependence and sacrifice.
The story’s moral center is also stronger than expected. The Stooges try to save the orphanage where they grew up, the nuns show compassion, and the film includes positive Christian references. Still, the comedy is often edgy and physically aggressive, with some crude jokes and other content younger children may not handle well.
You can take older children and enjoy a funny, warmhearted comedy, but use discernment with younger viewers.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESMoe, Larry and Curly grow up in an orphanage run by Catholic nuns. As adults, they become the orphanage’s bumbling maintenance men.
When financial problems threaten to close the orphanage in 30 days, the three friends travel to the big city to raise the money needed to save it. There, a scheming married woman and her boyfriend offer them a dangerous job involving her husband.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly entertaining comedy whose craft and performances fully deliver. The cast is perfectly chosen, and the three actors playing the Stooges bring their characters to life with the familiar haircuts, voices and slapstick glory.
The film also succeeds because it gives the comedy emotional weight. Amid the chaotic antics are heartwarming scenes in which the Stooges realize they need one another. An epilogue explains to children that the physical comedy was faked, showing that the hammers and other tools were rubber.
The Worldview
The film’s worldview is unusually morally uplifting for a broad slapstick comedy. It exalts helping others, trying to do the right thing even when you fail, sacrificial friendship and the Stooges’ determination to save the orphanage where they grew up. It also presents adoption positively and includes overt Christian references through the nuns’ crosses, prayer, singing and references to the Savior.
The film does include pagan and borderline immoral behavior, though that behavior is often rebuked. A married woman cheats on her husband and tries to manipulate the Stooges into killing him, while the Stooges themselves make foolish choices and frequently hurt one another through their roughhousing. Even so, the story ultimately points toward loyalty, compassion and responsibility.
The film’s central picture of people who need one another connects with Scripture’s call to bear burdens together: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong moral worldview with strong, overt Christian references stressing helping others, trying to do the right thing though often failing, a pro-adoption message, nun crosses herself and sings part of a “This Little Light of Mine,” nun briefly shown praying at sick child’s bedside, nuns wear crucifixes, Stooges try to save orphanage from closing, Stooges finally realize they need one another despite all their roughhousing, several touching and uplifting moments, plus some pagan and borderline immoral behavior but often rebuked; no foul language, but there’s a scene with babies urinating and the Three Stooges pointing urinating babies at one another and a joke about passing gas that solves a major plot problem; almost non-stop strong slapstick comedy violence with the Stooges hitting and slapping one another, Moe slaps and hits stars of JERSEY SHORE reality show, Stooges accidentally knock out or hit a nun who’s always angry and shouting at them with objects like the iron end of a sledge hammer that comes flying off accidentally, male villain accidentally steps into a bus and goes flying and then is run over by a street cleaning vehicle, Stooges put dynamite into man’s body cast, Stooges on bicycle are dragged by a truck, peanut hits chained lion in groin and lion escapes chain to jump on male villain who later shows up with large scratches on one cheek, villain points gun at people and takes them hostage, Stooges think Catholic Monsignor is attacking nuns and they rough him up after which the Monsignor slaps them for being so stupid, lobster bites Curly on nose and Moe then sticks it into Larry’s pants and Larry then eventually utters a shrill high C note, Larry tries to hit octopus on man’s face with little fireplace shovel but octopus falls off and Larry accidentally hits man on forehead with shovel, cop accidentally gets knocked out and Moe tries to defribulate cop with two hot irons that leave red marks on cop’s chest, etc.; no sex scenes but woman is cheating on her husband and tries to trick Stooges into killing her husband in a made-up mercy killing; brief upper male nudity and shots of female cleavage of female villain, JERSEY SHORE women, and shot of nun who’s wearing a bikini while she serves as a lifeguard at a pool for the children at the orphanage where she serves; no alcohol use; no smoking; and, Moe as a child acts like a tough guy and lies to Larry and Curly about the real reasons why a married couple brought him back to their orphanage, one surly nun is always screaming at Stooges but other nuns are kind, and nun says the Savior made one woman “barren” so she and her husband are now adopting.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The Stooges eventually realize how much they need one another. Why can it be difficult to admit that we need help, and how can we serve one another humbly?
Galatians 6:2 · Philippians 2:3–4The nuns work to care for children who need a home. What does Scripture say about caring for orphans and other vulnerable people?
James 1:27 · Psalm 82:3–4The Stooges try to save the orphanage even though they often fail. How should Christians respond when doing what is right becomes difficult?
Galatians 6:9 · Micah 6:8The film includes a woman who deceives her husband and tries to manipulate others. Why does God care about truthfulness, especially when lies harm other people?
Proverbs 12:22 · Ephesians 4:25The Final Word
The Three Stooges offers broad, sometimes edgy slapstick wrapped around genuine warmth, friendship and positive Christian references. Older children and adults can enjoy its comic energy, while parents should use discernment with younger viewers. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
