By Rita Kempley
Washington Post Staff Writer
November 10, 1995
Butt ventriloquist, poopy jokemeister and loogie-lofter extraordinaire, Jim Carrey pulls every gag from his comedy kit bag-and some from his nose, of course-but "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" just rolls over and expires.
In his second outing, the antic animal sleuth is plucked from the simple environs of South Florida and plunked against a canvas far too grand-and far too exotic-for the character. Summoned to Africa by the British consulate, pet detective Ace must find a sacred white bat that has been stolen from the peaceful Wachati tribe. If he fails, the contentious Wachootoo tribe threatens tribal war. Never mind why.
Ace is as frenetic as ever, but his hyper high jinks aren't seen as particularly odd by the rascally Wachootoo or the wacky Wachati. As the Marx Brothers knew, anarchic comedy thrives best in a stuffy atmosphere like the opera, and even top bananas slip up without the proper foil. Carrey chooses foils that are actually comic competition: his adorable capuchin sidekick, Binks, and the British consul's nebbishy emissary (Ian McNeice, a roly-poly British character actor who could play Hitler sympathetically).
Carrey's targets-animal poachers, horse beaters and fur wearers-have potential, but he does little to milk it, preferring to mug the camera like a stupid comic thug. In short, Carrey's got nothing to bounce all that energy off of, not even a solid story line. A filmmaker with experience-or barring that, gumption-might have helped, but writer turned director Steve Oedekerk, an old pal of Carrey's, apparently had neither.
All Carrey has left to work with is the character, whose quirks and eccentricities and love for animals endeared him to slapstick audiences. A sequel ought to reveal something more about the character, but even Carrey seems to be growing tired of the poor pet detective. Perhaps the lesson is you don't have to answer when nature calls. Pretend you're in a crowded elevator.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is rated PG-13 for off-color humor.
Top of This Movie PagencG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMSxedKrrWirpK65pnvLqKWgrJWnunC5zq%2Bgnqtfq7alsc6sZpqblauyr8DUq5iwoJWju6LA1KucnJmcocBvtNOm