Detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is not your average detective, he specialises in the recovery of lost animals no matter how big or small. Although he may be the laughing stock of the police force Ace remains dedicated to his job and somehow always manages to solve the case. When the Miami Dolphins mascot is kidnapped, Ace has to put all of his knowledge and experience to the test. Luckily Ace is aided with the help of Miami Dolphins representative Melissa (Courtney Cox) who accompanies Ace in an attempt to uncover the truth behind Snowflake's disappearance.
In the early years of Jim Carrey's career he established himself as a versatile comedian through TV shows such as In Living Color and with his unique brand of stand up comedy. Ace Ventura catapulted Jim Carrey into genuine stardom allowing the rest of the world to see his comedic talent. Although Carrey went on to make some classic comedies (personal favourite: Liar Liar) I don't think any character matches that of Ace Ventura.
Carrey is given free reign in the film, allowing the top character of Ace Ventura to come to life in a way that could never be repeated or remade. Theres no doubt Carrey made the character his own he didn't simply act out words from a script, he rewrote lines and ad-libbed scenes to ensure his character was as zany and memorable as possible. Part of Carrey's magic is his skillful ability to do a range of impressions and accents which he adopts with ease whenever he feels the need. The character of Ace Ventura is so over the top and eccentric that you can't help but smile, but for the majority of the film you find yourself not only smiling but laughing uncontrollably.
Carrey went on to complete many slapstick comedies playing characters that were equally as eccentric and over the top but it's hard to go past the brilliance of Ace. It's a testament to the character of Ace Ventura and to the film, for starting the trend that Carrey has essentially milked for the rest of his character. That's not to say Carrey is a bad actor by any stretch, in fact I think Carrey is a very underrated actor. Although he may have proved himself as a comedic talent few people acknowledge Carrey for his more serious dramatic roles. I feel Carrey is a vastly underrated dramatic actor as he has proved in films such as The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind that he can seriously act.
Ace Ventura is one of my all time favourite comedies and it's a film that can be easily rewatched again and again even if it's just for his seemingly endless array of catch phrases and one liners. Some of which are still used in conversations today such as "Alllrighty then", "Reheheheally" and "L ah-who-sa-her" (although when you use them yourself most people genuinely have no idea what you are talking about). The film is a comic gem that should be relived by those that have forgotten its appeal and experienced for the first time by anyone looking for a laugh.
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