Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (PG, 94mins) Directed by Steve Oedekerk *½
Having already stretched it’s one-joke premise to breaking point in the admittedly, occasionally hilarious 1994 original, Jim Carrey’s anarchic Ace Ventura returned to cinemas just a year later for a sequel that was decidedly ill-conceived and underbaked.
This time around our pet detective with the uncanny abilities to solve any animal-related crime with Sherlock Holmesian-style precision, literally talk out of his ass and irritate virtually anyone he comes across, has been traumatised by the death of a racoon who he failed to save in a daring mountain top rescue (and yes, that plot does sound suspiciously familiar to a Sylvester Stallone movie – Cliffhanger – from two years earlier).
As self-punishment, Ace banishes himself to a Tibetan monastery, where he seeks enlightenment in the hope of ending his torment.
However, it isn’t long before Ace’s talents are needed in Africa, where a sacred bat has been stolen from a local tribe. The stakes – and tensions – are high, with war promised should the holy flying mammal not be returned within the next few days.
As Ace is about to discover though, the situation on the ground is much more complex than he could ever have imagined.
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Jim Carrey’s second outing as Ace Ventura – When Nature Calls – was a far cry from the original anarchic laugh-fest.
Riding an incredible wave of success – the first Ace was followed by The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and Batman Forever – the former In Living Colour star hit his first real speed-bump with this less-than-stellar sequel.
While his trademark manic style and rubbed-faced antics are present and correct, this seemed like a backwards step. Whereas the first time around, Ace struck audiences as an offbeat, original character, here his movements seem clichéd and uninspired.
No room is given for the supporting cast (who include Four Weddings and a Funeral’s Simon Callow, Hotel Rwanda’s Sophie Okonedo and Carrey’s fellow In Living Colour alumni Tommy Davison) to develop their characters beyond one-dimensional stereotypes, the jokes appear forced – and some of them are just downright unfunny (particularly the one involving the aforementioned racoon).
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Riding an incredible wave of success, former In Living Colour star Jim Carrey hit his first real speed-bump with the less-than-stellar Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls in 1995.
That’s not to say this is completely devoid of memorable scenes and one-liners, but there simply just aren’t enough of them to generate consistent laughs – and a satisfying watch.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is now available to stream on Prime Video.
