User reviews

Now, these movies can't be taken too seriously. The storyline is silly, the dialog is silly and the concept is silly, with one extraordinary exception: Jim Carrey, who, in contrast, uses his extremely intelligent wit and hugely humorous body actions to make this movie what it is, hilarious.

The fact is, this mans arguably a genius, he made a possibly average, run-of-the-mill, 'straight to TV' comedy into an all-time classic. You can switch your brain off and literally laugh yourself to tears watching the scenes in which he acts in. He CARRIES this movie, no doubt and his performance in this is extremely underrated. Being one of his first major roles and to actually manage to single-handedly make this movie what it is with his sheer brilliance at being a comedian-actor, well, it should not be overlooked.

But of course, it has it's flaws. The fact is, the scenes without Carrey (Albeit, they're not many of them) really just shows this movie doesn't have much else going for it besides the man himself. Many of the other actors/actresses (Including Courtney Cox) just aren't funny. But this movie, in my opinion, deserves an 8, because it's just really showcasing Jim Carreys excellence. Watch it and believe me, you'll get hooked!

A comedy that refrains from nothing.

The film is entertaining, and Jim Carrey plays Ace Ventura, a pet detective, a bizarre character that only Jim Carrey can play. This is a typical comedy from that time, which wants only to make the viewer laugh and not burden him with unnecessary things.

Here we have some really hilarious characters, who make this movie so much fun. The film doesn't hold back from anything, and Jim Carrey works great in such an environment.

This is how the comedy looks without the restrictions imposed by today's production. Comedy is there to entertain the viewer and give him an escape from reality.

Jim Carrey works great in this somewhat bizarre film, and the other characters are just as funny, and the situations they find themselves in are bizarre and hilarious. Some parts are particularly funny and Jim Carrey manages to make the viewer laugh with his facial expressions and gestures that fit this type of film perfectly.

Today this film probably could not have been made. Bizarre characters, hilarious situations and the atmosphere from the nineties make this comedy irresistible and give it a charm that today's comedies do not have.

A comedy that wants to entertain the viewer and succeeds at it.

While Ace Ventura:Pet Detective is not my favourite of Jim Carrey's movie, it is a lot of fun. It may be a tad too short, and some of the silliness is overdone. But even with any problems, that still doesn't change the fact that I enjoyed this film immensely. The film looks good with the cinematography and scenery top notch. The script is incredibly funny and I like to quote it too. The story is quite silly, but it is a nice one too, and the film is also very snappily paced. Tom Shadyac's direction is also very energetic and imaginative. This was the film that made Jim Carrey an overnight sensation and a fine one it is too to receive that honour. He is excellent in this film, his style of humour mayn't be for everybody, but when he is at his best he is funny or nicely understated as he is in his dramas. All in all, fast, furious and fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Undeniably juvenile, but funny and entertaining comedy stars Carrey—in his breakthrough role—as a goofy, wildly eccentric pet detective hired to find the missing Miami Dolphins mascot. He's the right man for the job but his childish idiosyncrasies, uncanny bond with animals, and aberrant investigative techniques cause outsiders to question whether or not he can actually make good on his word. Aimed mostly at fans who really enjoy silly humor, others will quickly find it tiresome. There are some amusing cameos by real Dolphin football players (including an engaging Dan Marino) but this film belongs to Carrey and his constant outrageousness. Sure-fire entertainment for fans of this genre. **½

This movie has a surprisingly great plot for a comedy. The jokes were ridiculous. If you love Jim Carrey, you probably love this.

Following the kidnapping of ‘Miami Dolphins' mascot `Snowflake' Melissa (Courteney Cox) hires Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) to track the dolphin down before Superbowl Sunday.

The Nineties were generally good for Jim Carrey and ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' is a shining example of sheer Carrey hilarity! Jim Carrey plays his character with his typical, undoubtedly unrivalled, madcap charisma that has now become so famous throughout the world, yet this movie probably remains the greatest example of just how outlandish a Carrey movie can be. The plot is so thin that it becomes obvious that the story was made to suit Carrey's style rather than vice versa and surprisingly succeeds well. Carrey's extremely arrogant and oddball ‘Ace Ventura' character is unexpectedly likeable and continuously places the viewer in a fit of hysterics with the increasingly wacky scenarios he finds himself in. Carrey's off the wall antics are what made this film and direct attention away well from the flaws that the movie has.

It is safe to say that Carrey was the star and provided all the highlights of this movie and while Sean Young (playing Lt. Lois Einhorn) and Courteney Cox in some ways aided the movie they simply came off as bit-part characters rather than stars as Carrey stole the entire show. Capable direction from Tom Shadyac is a further high spot in this movie and recognition should also be given to Jack Bernstein who co-wrote an astoundingly funny script with Jim Carrey.

‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' is certainly one of the finest comedies Jim Carrey has offered the world so far and despite missing the more heart-warming moments that later films such as ‘Liar Liar' (1997) offered, is a good movie in it's own right. However, as humour is viewer dependant it would be unfair of me to say I recommend this movie to everyone. Those people who dislike many of the Jim Carrey movies will probably not enjoy this one and I can understand why some would condemn this movie as being puerile nonsense. Many of the jokes do border on bad taste and much of the movie has an atmosphere of schoolyard humour to it. I am aware that some people will not find Carrey's zany antics and silly noises funny at all. That being said I personally do enjoy this movie and feel that fans of Jim Carrey and many other people will find this entertaining fun. To sum up – I feel this is an enjoyable movie for teenagers, young adults and probably for the more open-minded older audience despite being somewhat childish and risqué. Not for everyone though. My rating for ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' – 7/10.

I'm guessing that everybody knows the story of this movie by now, but for those who might not have had the opportunity to see this great movie, it's quite a simple formula. The Miami Dolphins mascot is stolen and by word-of-mouth advertising Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is called into manic action. His job is to find the dolphin and return it before The Miami Dolphins' crucial game.

Jim Carrey is quite simply amazing, I never stopped laughing the whole way through the movie. This is surely Carrey's best work, even now. OK, Dumb and Dumber and The Mask are very funny movies too, but this takes the biscuit. Everything Ace does made me laugh, from whipping football player's with a towel to get a ring imprint to showing up at a mansion party and being his usual manic self.

100 laughs per hour, if you have a sense of humour, then this movie is for you!!!

Sure, the humor is immature from time to time. But that's part of Carrey's act, as the colorful gumshoe of the title, who takes on the case of retrieving the Miami Dolphins' prized mascot, Snowflake, after it's stolen from its tank one night. Of course, as the title would lead you to believe, Ace Ventura is no ordinary detective. "I don't do humans," he asserts to us. His specialty is pets. It's hard out there for pet detectives, since it's a field that nobody takes too seriously, except Ace, that is. So when he gets the call for duty, he's all over the case.

His investigation pairs him with Melissa Robinson ("Friends" Courteney Cox), and the two uncover some startling details about the Miami team's history, and one of its most controversial players, who missed the field goal kick at the 1984 Super Bowl that would have won the game and blames Dan Marino for the whole thing. That player hasn't been seen since. Meanwhile, Ace runs afoul of Miami police department lieutenant Lois Einhorn (Sean Young), who seriously needs to take a chill pill and is hiding something more than just a gun under her skirt.

"Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" is a comic tour de force. Of course Carrey has done plenty of better things since this flick, but for commercial purposes, so let's just leave that in the future. Ace Ventura is something that only he could have done, and made it work. Sure his methods are "unusual," but hey, he gets the job done.

In 1994, a year that gave us Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Creek Productions and Warner Bros. Pictures came out with the funniest film of the decade, err, 1994, with the Jim Carrey super-vehicle, ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE.

Right off the bat, it is a Jim Carrey showcase: chasing missing albino pigeons, rescuing a pampered shiatsu, and making high speed getaways, this all works because it is Ace Ventura, a hilarious, live-action cartoon character who spouts one-liners like an M-16.

The premise of the film is that the Miami Dolphin's team mascot, Snowflake the dolphin, has been captured and needs to be found in time for the Super Bowl. Ace is hired and the sexy Courtney Cox is made his partner until the dolphin is recovered. With an assortment of funny situations like Ace falling into a great white shark tank (!), a montage of Ace searching for a missing jewel, Ace head banging in a CANNIBAL CORPSE concert, it's all gold, and as you have read, Ace is what drives this film into comedy genius!

It was a busy and successful year for Jim Carrey, as he came out with another pair of comedy blockbusters, the LOOSELY translated Dark Horse comic THE MASK, and his hilarious buddy comedy with Jeff Daniels, DUMB and DUMBER.

Thanks to Tom Shadyac for letting Carrey out of the bag and letting this damn funny Canadian strut his lanky stuff.

It has some offensive, adult-oriented material, but if caught on television, this is nearly perfect family entertainment: as long as you don't mind your kids talking from their a$$es for the next couple months.

Ace Ventura Pet Detective is a 1994 comedy that follows a kooky detective who is hired to find the Miami Dolphins Kidnapped Mascot Snowflake.

Directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carey, Ace Ventura is not only one of the funniest films I've ever seen, but also the movie that propelled Carey's career to star status in the comedy world. It's filled with a lot of ridiculous antics and jokes that I'm sure some will not enjoy, but others will find hilarious. Carey's character is goofy and out of his mind, but a complete delight to watch fumbling around trying to solve the case of the missing Dolphin. It has a great cast, good comedy, and will go down (in my opinion) as one of Carey's best films.

I've always loved this movie and it's an easy watch anytime. If you haven't seen Ace before, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

It boggles my mind that Jim Carrey is one of the highest paid actors out there. This movie, and the one he appeared in following it, are unbelievably awful. I am a huge fan of movies that have a lot of absurd humor (i.e. The Naked Gun, Airplane) but this movie has none of the qualities of the aforementioned films. These films utilize slapstick/absurdist humor, as opposed to Carrey's running gag of distorted faces and talking out of his a**. Even if you liked Jim Carrey's brand of humor, wouldn't it get old after thirty minutes or so... This one is a real dud in my opinion, I give it NO STARS!

Ace Ventura is the kind of comedy that stems directly from a TV show, and in this case, that show was probably In Living Color, where Carrey got most of his publicity before he became famous as a movie actor. A quick look through Carrey's filmography will prove that Ace Ventura is the film that really acted as a springboard for his career. He had a few small roles in films previous to Ace Ventura, the largest of which was probably his role as one of the aliens in the awful film Earth Girls Are Easy, but after Ace Ventura, his career skyrocketed. The Mask (hey, he's still new, give the guy a break), Dumb & Dumber, a sequel to Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, The Cable Guy (oops), The Truman Show (ah, better), Man On The Moon, Me, Myself & Irene, The Grinch, and there's no end in sight.

Sure, Ace Ventura does not compare to half of these movies, and is clearly more on the side of the bone-headed comedy that he was doing on In Living Color, but his talent is unmistakable. I first saw this movie when I was in high school, and I remember that I would ditch school and go to the theater to see it and I would laugh hysterically until my sides hurt every time I saw it. There's something about seeing a slob at a tremendously rich party who just doesn't care about the etiquette of the rich people. Did anyone not laugh when he was `testing' the food at Ron Kamp's I'm-the-richest-man-in-the-universe party and stuck his tongue out at that poor guy next to him? That whole scene at that party is classic!

And, of course, it only gets better with Ace's dealings with Lois Einhorn. The whole crying game idea may have gone a little too far, but it was always amusing. Jim Carrey saves Ace Ventura from sinking to the totally brainless level of more recent crapfests as the Scary Movies, and even makes this into one of the better comedies of 1994. This is not the type of movie that is likely to win any awards, but you will remember the hilarious dialogue and Jim Carrey's immediately recognizable rubber-faced antics in this film that served as a spring board to his career, which later brought us many more excellent movies. Way to go, Jim.

Ace Ventura is a silly film, there's no way around it. But there is no denying that is funny, Carrey's antics with his slapstick comedy could make even the most serious people crack.

However the comedy has not all aged well, I can see it being slightly problematic for some younger generation people but it's worth considering that this was made in a different time with different standards.

The film gets worse towards the end and it does feel like some moments are there simply to push the film to it's relatively short 86 minute running time, so it's not all peachy, but if you enjoy comedy films then Ace Ventura is a solid choice.

While his later films are good, Ace Ventura is the best of all. Jim Carrey brings his now famous style of acting to the screen. Ace is the kind of guy who you never know what he's going to do next, and that is what makes him so funny. The plot is not the best one out there and the actors in this one are not the best, but this movie is not for intelligent plots and famous actors. It's a whacky comedy that made Jim Carrey a star. The movie is not bad, not at all. Why people think that is just odd and strange. Guess there is no appreciation for good movies these days.

(r#45)

There are so many reasons for why I loved the nineties as a decade for movies, and Jim Carrey is one of those reasons. He created so much fantastic comedy during his raging box office career 1994-1999, it was inevitable that his works from 2000 and onward would be a bit of a disappointment. Now I'm not saying Bruce Almighty, The Grinch, Lemony Snicket or Me, Myself and Irene were bad (far from it, in fact), but none of them can hold a candle to his absolutely ingenious stuff from the nineties, Liar Liar, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Batman Forever, and Cable Guy (yes, the Cable guy! You can smite me all you want!) Now I've finally seen the movie that jump-started Carrey's career, Ace Ventura. Ironically I saw almost all of his later comedies before this, which could have been bad. In some cases a comedian doesn't find his ground until he's made a few movies to "warm up". Not so with Carrey! This is arguably his best performance, and it gives him some of the most iconic lines of his entire career. "Alriiiiighty then", would seem like the most obvious mention, but there's also "Looo-hoooo-ser", "Reeaaaa-lly", "If I'm not back in five minutes - just wait longer", "To capture ze dolphin you must zhink like ze dolphin!!", and I'm sure a lot more which I've forgot at the moment.

To put it bluntly, Ace Ventura is possibly the funniest movie you will ever see. And I mean it. Tom Shadyac, who also worked with Carrey on the box office smashes Bruce Almighty and Liar Liar, as well as Eddie Murphy's The Nutty Professor, knows what the audience wants to see (Hint: it's not extensive character development!), and makes sure that Jim is never off screen for too long, never wasting too much time on the plot (which is of course redundant in these sort of films). No, as much screen time as possible is devoted to Jim shouting, babbling, wailing, coughing, barking, quoting Star Trek and Frankenstein, talking out of his ass, breaking things, and creating as much havoc as possible to the dismay of the more normal characters around him. And damn does it pay off! Totally devoid of the cheesy Hollywood "drama" that plagued Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, and without the pointless subplots in The Mask that no one cared about anyway, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is precisely what it should be: Pure, unadulterated Carrey madness from beginning to end!

A definite must-see!

Ace Ventura is one of my favourite Jim Carrey movies and I after watching this have been anxious to see Jim Carrey movies ever since. It is an hilarious movie and most of the jokes they have in the movie work really well. This movie has pretty much nothing wrong with and it just keeps the silliness going like with bits like the shark in the tank and the bit where he chews up the cigarette the lady asks if he wants an astray and he replies with "no I do not smoke it is a filthy habit" are just a tiny portion of things that are hilarious and if this movie was any more funny it would not be called a movie anymore but I do not know something bigger so I will not say what it would. Overall I will rate this movie 93% for being a damn funny movie.

I like Jim Carrey's later stuff. MAN ON THE MOON was good, LIAR LAIR was good, and apparently THE TRUMAN SHOW (never saw it) was good, but I didn't care so much for his early stuff. I think ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE was OK, but nothing great. It's certainly better than DUMB AND DUMBER, anyway.

Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is an eccentric detective who only takes cases about animals. When the Dolphins mascot is kidnapped a few days before the Superbowl, he comes in to investigate. Many of the police, including Lois Einhorn (Sean Young) don't approve of Ace Ventura, but he won't let them get to him. He also starts to fall in love with Dolphin employee Melissa Robinson (Courtney Cox).

The plot is actually better than I would have expected in such a movie, which isn't too much. There are quite a few funny parts, but there are some jokes and gags that don't work. The acting is OK, even though Jim Carrey overacts way too much at this stage in his career. Courtney Cox, I think, did the best acting job in the movie.

It's worth watching if on TV, but I wouldn't say it's worth buying or renting. Jim Carrey fans will, of course, love this movie and probably not MAN ON THE MOON. For me, it's the other way around.

Ace Ventura is a loud and hilarious movie. The plot follows Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) as he tackles a high-profile case involving a missing dolphin, Snowflake. The plot is engaging, full of twists, and always feels exciting. The story progression is fluid and evenly paced. Even though it is a comedy, the movie's theme can provide a valuable lesson that things are not always as they seem. The characters and acting in the movie are on point and uproarious; Jim Carrey is perfect as Ace Ventura, and it was fun seeing Courtney Cox play the love interest. The dialogue in this movie is stupidly funny; it is hard not to chuckle throughout its duration. The cinematography was great; the movie traveled a lot, yet there was still great attention to detail in each scene. The background music was used during chase scenes, adding to the movie's goofiness. This is not the best movie I have ever seen, but a great movie to shut your brain off.

For all of Carrey's wacky antics and the, at times, overbearingly silly tone of the piece, there's actually a really dark, surprisingly layered mystery running through 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)'. This isn't all that unusual for films starring the eccentric but sometimes unsettling star, though, as he tends to pick projects with somewhat of an underlayer to them. It is actually this rather accomplished piece of storytelling that cements the flick as one much better (despite some problematic moments later on) than the 'stupid, vulgar comedy' some critics have 'relegated' it to being. That said, the flick still is funny and the laughs are the primary focus, though here they aren't quite as intense or as cohesive with the concept as in some of Carrey's other work. We're asked to root for, and tolerate, an undeniably over-the-top and abrasive main character, and that can be difficult at times. It's certainly not impossible, however, and the flick is usually a good time throughout with plenty of laughs and a decent plot, to boot. 7/10

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Pet detection, the newest field in the police force and Ace Ventura is the best and only pet detective in the whole of Miami!. He seeks income by finding lost animals. Hes a self-proclaimed animal lover that has an amusing relationship with his mass amount of pets that he 'knows the way they think'.

The story circulates Ace going to find a lost dolphin that happens to be a mascot of a big American football that was stolen a week before the super bowl. Which is disastrous!

Jim Carrey has pulled off an extremely funny performance that had me laughing excessively. Ace's outrageousness is unparalled to any other character of all time. Carrey is simply the king of physical comedy and he was my idol as a child and will continue to be.

However, the humour in the film is goofy, bizarre and very eccentric. Therefore, some people may not get the humour and discard the film and Carrey's performance.

Get the humour or not, Carrey's fearlessness towards his roles in film has made him one of the most unique comedians of all time and he should be praised for that.

I give this film 5/10 because although it was very funny, the story was very weak and the acting other than Carrey was very mediocre which brought the film down.

I wont tell you any of the gags just watch it with a bunch of friends and enjoy yourself!

5/10

After about 10 years of acting, Jim Carrey (Once Bitten, In Living Color) finally scored his first big hit with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Ace Ventura is a detective who specializes in cases involving missing animals.

It's Superbowl time and the Miami Dolphins mascot has been abducted. There's only one man who's fit for the job. The unorthodox, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is the man for the job. His methods are bizarre and crude.

This is an amusing film if goofy humor doesn't put you off. Some of the humor is probably pretty offense to some people these days, but it's a movie and it's okay to laugh.

Ace Ventura made Jim Carrey into a big star. 1994 was a good year for him, with The Mask and Dumb and Dumber also coming out that year and both of them being big hits as well.

Besides Mr. Carrey, the cast includes Udo Kier, Tone Loc (Surf Ninjas), Sean Young (Blade Runner, Love Crimes), Courtney Cox (Scream, Friends), Randall "Tex" Cobb (Police Academy 4, Ernest Goes to Jail) and Noble Willingham (Walker Texas Ranger).

If you're looking for a really goofy fun movie you can't go wrong with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

But what it is, is a tour de force rollercoaster ride of pure fun, featuring Jim Carrey at his craziest! (and I mean that in the best way possible ;)...

This movie was funny! This is not high brow humor but if you are looking for something crazy and funny with immature humor, this is one of the best. This is Jim Carrey at his best...being wild and crazy.