Film Flare's Film Diary 2013/26

Hey everyone.

I've got a busy old week of writing up ahead, what with my reviews for The World's End and 2 Guns to get out in the next few days.

With this in mind. It's just a one film show tonight.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Alongside The Mask, this film is seen as being the start of Jim Carrey's rise from elastic faced, crazy stand up comic to elastic faced, crazy film star. To be fair, compared with The Mask, this is weak sauce.

There are a few quality jokes and Carrey himself is so manic, hyperactive and trying so hard to make the audience laugh that inevitably, some of the jokes land but it's a really, really poor conversion rate.

The general story involves Ace Ventura who is, as the title implies, a pet detective. He gets hired because someone has stolen the Miami Dolphin's dolphin and they need him back before superbowl. This is an unusual film because something like The Naked Gun is far, far better. Sure, Leslie Nielson is trying too hard to make you laugh and the jokes aren't clever but it's a far, far funnier film.

It's odd because the film tries so hard to make Carrey the star, no other character is even trying to be funny so it makes Carrey's brutally over the top comedy just outlandish because no one else seems to be in on the joke. At least in The Mask, the over the top antics are explained by tricker gods and whatnot, in Ace Ventura, he just is like that. There's no explanation, no reason, it's just him.

Ace Ventura is just not too great. Even though I was in the mood for a juvenile comedy film, it still didn't hit the spot. It disappointed me.

I am disappointed. Watch The Mask instead. Of Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, the superior and funnier sequel. And even that film hits a seriously bum note about two thirds of the way through. In fact, if you want to see Jim Carrey actually being funny, just watch some of his comedy.

Trailer: