Let’s head back to the early 1990s, a time when Jim Carrey was on the rise of becoming a Hollywood star. The turning point for him was 1994’s “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”, which guaranteed Carrey a hit, and he eventually rose fame. But looking at the film now, it’s quite easy why the movie was a hit. It was released on Super Bowl weekend, which garnered a lot of attention. The acting gives us cameos from famous football players, and shows off Jim Carrey’s comedic talents. But the movie is overshadowed by a lot of other things, and it’s surprising that this film earned top dollar at the box office. “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” is a good movie by making a star out of Carrey, but it has its problems.

The plot revolves around Ace Ventura (Carrey), a private investigator that works in the field of animals. Not only does Ace get a reward for finding lost animals; he also likes to bring his work home with him. One night, thieves steal the Miami Dolphins mascot Snowflake, a real dolphin, just days before the Super Bowl begins. Ace gets hired on the case to find Snowflake, but he ends up getting involved in deeper water that includes murder, and the abduction of the Miami Dolphins lead player Dan Marino.

“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” is a good movie that excels in a couple of different areas. For starters, the acting is quite good with everyone portraying his or her characters well. This is especially true with Jim Carrey as he gives the character of Ace Ventura a lot of personality. The direction and camera work present the film nicely and keeps the pace flowing to a maximum. The music sounds great by giving us a nice blend of different genres all bundled into one production. These advancements truly make the movie shine, but the overall production is heavily overshadowed by several items.

A couple of years back, I praised this movie by proclaiming it cinematic genius. Looking at the film now, I see that there are some problems that turn me off while watching the movie. First and foremost is the length of the film. “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” is very shiftless by not extending its scenes to give the audience enough attention to see what they’re watching. This leads to my next problem: the story. While it is interesting to see a pet detective, played by a comedian, solving a huge case, the humor just isn’t there. If the studio is marketing the film as a comedy, make it so. In fact, the story focuses more on the mystery element rather than the comedic element of the film. Despite these huge flaws, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” with some nice tongue-in-cheek jokes, and the performance of Jim Carrey.

Overall, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” is a good movie that is a nice acting and technological achievement, but it needs better development with the story by adding more humor, and with the timing of the film. Looking at the movie now, we can truly see why it was so successful. It gives an idea to watch a movie during the Super Bowl, it gives us a glimpse back to when the early 1990s looked like, and it showcases Jim Carrey’s talent for what it’s worth.