From Jerry Lewis to Eddie Murphy, the bottom-line rule of thumb in contemporary American film comedy has been that the more control a performer has over his movies, the less funny - less daring, more self-indulgent - they become. Not so Jim Carrey, whose fourth starring role, in ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS (Warner Bros., PG-13), is his best yet. Unlike so many superstar comics before him, Carrey has retained a raw hunger for The Joke - the killer punchline, the ultimate sight gag - that seems insatiable, and this gives his work a furious, omnivorous energy. Even when the jokes are as corny as this movie’s subtitle is, Carrey regularly squeezes a laugh out of you through sheer force of will.

Tags: Ace Ventura,Jim Carrey,Movie,Pet Detective
Categories: Jim Carrey
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I saw Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Not much to say about this one, except that it reflects the trend that stupid nonsensical behaviour can be considered “cool” and might even be productive (ala Beavis and Butt-head and Wayne’s World). If you go to movies like these and hate them, then you take life too seriously. These are meant to be laughed off at. The easier option, of course, is not see them at all, since it is a waste of time.

Tags: Ace Ventura,Courtney Cox,Pet Detectice
Categories: Jim Carrey
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