Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

(Second viewing, On DVD, January 2009) There should be a warning on the DVD: Watching this film may rekindle annoying mannerisms. Like all great comic characters, Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura is a mesmerizing creation that rises above its own infectious catch-phrases and absurd moments. Don’t be surprised to catch yourself repeating one-liners or mugging for attention with Carrey/Ventura’s facial expressions. Fortunately, there are quite a bit more comedy moments than just Ventura’s character, and a generally solid plot holds it all together. As a result, the film has survived the last fifteen years better than you’d expect. The DVD contains a pretty good commentary track by director Tom Shadyac that spends most of the time discussing how the filmmakers felt their way by trial-and-error to bigger and bigger laughs.