1994, a year of cinematic brilliance, brought us Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, and The Shawshank Redemption, yet Morgan Creek Productions and Warner Bros. Pictures dared to tread a different path. They gifted us with a film that set the bar for comedic genius, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, starring the incomparable Jim Carrey in a role that would set him up as one of the funniest dudes in Hollywood.
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The Movie Review
The film’s narrative centers around the Miami Dolphin’s beloved team mascot, Snowflake the dolphin, who has been seized and must be recovered before the grandest event of the year, the Super Bowl. In strides Ace Ventura, the unparalleled pet detective summoned to salvage the situation. At his side is the captivating Courtney Cox, who becomes his loyal companion in their pursuit of Snowflake.
From the onset, this film is a non-stop cavalcade of Carrey’s comedic genius, as he effortlessly chases elusive albino pigeons, rescues a pampered shiatsu, and makes daring high-speed escapes. The film’s success lies in its titular character, Ace Ventura, a live-action cartoon whose wit is as sharp as an M-16, leaving audiences in stitches.
The film is a riotous journey, teeming with uproarious situations, such as Ace plummeting into a shark tank, a montage of Ace’s quest for a missing gemstone, and Ace’s head-banging at a Cannibal Corpse concert. All these moments are coalescing to create a comedic treasure trove. However, what truly elevates this film to the heights of comedy genius is the absurdity and acumen of Ace Ventura, the driving force behind the film’s comedic splendor.
This is a juvenile experience, to be honest, but it’s made into an undeniably funny affair thanks to Jim Carrey in his breakthrough role. Ace is such a goofy character, he’s the right man for the investigation but his idiosyncratic activities and his weird bond with animals are a huge hindrance to his investigative abilities.
This is where Carrey ‘carries’ the role, he fully immerses himself into the role of this overly eccentric guy who always thinks he’s too cool for everything. It simply suits him, and he fits into it like a comfortable pair of shoes. Though I must confess, the film is aimed mostly at people who might enjoy daft and crude jokes, but some people might end up finding it tiresome quite early on in the movie.
I will say that most of the actors in this film are not great at their jobs, of course, with the exception being Carrey. He’s overly outrageous and constantly nonchalant, but the rest of the cast is not even trying to catch up to his pace.
Courtney Cox is just there to look pretty before she gets a role in FRIENDS and is set for life, meanwhile, Sean Young is not really putting any effort into acting here even though she is capable of so much better in terms of acting. Mark Margolis as Mr. Shickadance was somewhat funny and well-acted, but even he can’t save the acting job here.
The Visuals
Visually, there’s not much to it either, it’s a film that looks just as regular as almost every single film from the 1990s. It’s a 1994 film, so it looks basically like any other 1994 film which was funny and had an obnoxious group of characters in the lead.
I do like the character design in the film but overall there wasn’t much else to love in this one.
The Music
The music did have some cool moments though, there’s a lot of surf music in the film featured a bit too rambunctiously, meanwhile, the soundtrack itself isn’t too great, but it is functional and does its job quite well.
Verdict
Tom Shadyac’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective does have a lot going for it. It’s a funny film, starring one of the funniest people to ever exist on this planet. It’s a film with a genuinely decent plot, and it also features pretty good writing which can make you pretty interested in the plot of the film you’re watching.
However, when it comes to the overall technical side of things, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is barely up to snuff. It’s as dry as a raisin, with no great acting (other than Carrey), no good cinematography, poor editing, bland music and soundtrack, and a lot of unnecessary scenes.
It’s a fun entertainer though, if you’re in the mood to laugh, this is the way to go.
