Me, Myself & Irene

Among other things, the films of the Farrelly brothers are known for characteristically mixing lowbrow crudity and (allegedly) brainier comedy, along with outright cruelty and almost overwhelming sweetness.

Sometimes this uneasy combination of seemingly disparate elements works (such as in the mega-smash "There's Something About Mary"). But when it doesn't (the dud "Kingpin" comes to mind), it can make for a painful moviegoing experience.

Their latest, "Me, Myself & Irene," falls somewhere in-between. It has moments that are easily the funniest they've ever committed to screen, while at least as many others simply go too far or fall flat.

Also, there's a definite mean-spiritedness and a slight element of danger to "Me, Myself & Irene" that the other films, especially "Mary," wisely avoided. Thankfully the laughs outweigh them here — but just barely.

And again, since this is a Farrelly brothers movie, it's definitely not for anyone who's easily offended, as it relies on crude humor and profanity to get laughs. In fact, the film is already raising ire of protest groups for its treatment of taboo subjects, including animal cruelty and mental illness. (The latter complaints, by the way, might hold more water if it weren't so obvious that the film and subject matter aren't meant to be taken seriously, and if the Farrellys weren't equal-opportunity offenders.)

The story here is a variation on "All of Me" and, to a certain degree, "Fight Club," as mild-mannered Rhode Island highway patrolman Charlie Baileygates (Jim Carrey), after swallowing 17 years of rage, develops a second personality.

But the personality that emerges from this pushover is the complete opposite of Charlie — a loudmouth named Hank who suffers from delusions of grandeur. Reluctantly, Charlie's boss orders to him to undergo counseling and take some time off, after he escorts a woman, Irene Waters (Renee Zellweger), back to New York to answer to hit-and-run charges.

What no one could have anticipated is that both of Charlie's dueling personalities would fall in love with his beautiful prisoner — or that the three of them would wind up on the lam from crooked cops (Chris Cooper and Richard Jenkins) responsible for the trumped-up charges.

The Farrellys have made some questionable storytelling decisions before, but one of the best and silliest was drafting Rex Allen Jr. (son of the late Rex Allen, "The Voice of the West") to narrate the film, necessitated by an early flashback sequence.