Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the first real Jim Carrey movie. He starred in a few movies before this one (like Once Bitten and Earth Girls Are Easy), but this was the first movie where Jim Carrey got to be Jim Carrey and go crazy. And he changed the face of movie comedy forever with this gem. Jim Carrey stars as Ace Ventura, a pet detective trying to track down Snowflake, the kidnapped mascot of the Miami Dolphins. He has a crazy haircut, an affinity for animals, and a habit of making his ass talk.
Nobody in Hollywood can do physical comedy like Jim Carrey. He flails his arms and stretches his rubber face and can do a million different voices. He is one of a kind. Courtney Cox, Sean Young, Tone Lōc, and Dan Marino all do a decent job in their supporting roles, but this movie is nothing without Jim Carrey. But director Tom Shadyac deserves a lot of credit too. Shadyac does a great job of balancing out the comedic mayhem with an intriguing mystery. It could have been a forgettable comedy, but Shadyac gives the movie heart, and that gave the film longevity. It’s an undisputed classic. It launched Jim Carrey into superstardom. It’s no wonder that Jim Carrey would team up with him again for Liar, Liar and Bruce Almighty.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a milestone for a few reasons. It proved that unproven stars could create a blockbuster comedy franchise (The Hangover owes its existence to it). It made dumb comedies smart again. And it gave the world Jim Carrey. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s pretty damn close.
Critically Rated at 16/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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