The Farrelly Brothers' long-gestating film adaptation of The Three Stooges has always been considered an iffy proposition - even when it was originally set to feature an A-list cast with big names like Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro all lined up to portray the new incarnations of those famously dim-witted, comically-violent siblings.

Moviegoers weren't exactly blown away by the official Three Stooges trailer, mostly due to ill-conceived elements like an appearance by Snooki from Jersey Shore. It would appear that the Three Stooges marketing team has taken those criticisms to heart, seeing how the film's new online trailer throws out the pop-cult gags (like swimsuit supermodel Kate Upton's cameo as a sexy nun) and instead features nothing but nonstop Stooges slapstick madness.

Check out the official synopsis for The Three Stooges, followed by the second trailer:

Left on a nun’s doorstep, Larry, Curly and Moe grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. Out to save their childhood home, only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot…while also stumbling into starring in a phenomenally successful TV reality show.

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Three Stooges stars comedic actors Chris Diamantopoulos (American Dad!), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace), and Will Sasso (MADtv) as the titular trio that is Moe, Larry, and Curly, respectively. As you can see from the new trailer, they've certainly got the looks and mannerisms of the original Stooges down quite pat. Whether or not the new Stooges also possess their predecessors' sense of comedic timing and charming screen presence... well, that matter is up for debate (though we're guessing most people's answer is "no").

While the Farrellys appear to have done a solid job of imitating the original Stooges' brand of humor (right down to the elaborate cartoon sound effects), it doesn't seem that they've proven so successful at integrating that old-fashioned comedy style into a modern setting. It's partly for that reason that one has to wonder if the Three Stooges can manage to please either newcomers or fans of the original comedy team.

The Three Stooges opens in theaters around the U.S. on April 13th, 2012 - so we'll get a definite answer to that question soon enough.

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Source: Yahoo! Movies