Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

The success of the original Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, earning over 70 million dollars at the box office, spurned a sequel to the hilarious comedy starring Jim Carrey. All of Carrey's antics are present, but the novelty of many of them wore off a bit in the sequel. Of course there are lots of new laughs to go along with this installment of Ace!

The Story
The movie opens with a spoof of Cliffhanger as Ace is trying to rescue a raccoon from a mountaintop. Ace fails in his rescue attempt and retreats to an Indian temple to try and deal with the tragedy. After being there for a period of time, Ace is summoned to go to Africa and rescue a sacred bat (much to the delight of all the monks).

If the bat is not recovered, a war will break out between two large African tribes! But there is one problem - Ace is terrified of bats. Of course he is an animal lover so he must take on the mission. This makes for some entertaining scenes when Ace finally does find the bat and along the way!

The Cast
Jim Carrey again stars as Ace Ventura, along with Ian McNeice as Fulton Greenwall, the guide who finds Ace and asks him for help. Simon Callow plays Vincent Cadby who has kidnapped the sacred bat for his own private collection. The performances of Callow and McNeice are not bad in the movie, but the focus is mostly on Carrey (quite common in his movies). They are usually just standing by while Ace goes goofy, as was the case in the original. Not that it is a bad thing since Carrey can be so bloody entertaining.

Some Observations
The downside to the movie is we do see a lot of antics that Carrey had already done in the first movie. So some of them did get a little old and repetitive for those who saw the first. The upside is there are lots of new laughs and antics in this one so it is definitely worth seeing for Carrey & Ace Ventura fans.

One funny scene which was shown in most previews of the movie is another demonstration of Ace’s parking technique. In the first Ace Ventura we watched Ace skid his car into a parking spot with his head out the window - followed by his trademark "Like a glove!" In this one he parks his big wheel truck he is driving by rolling it and landing it in a parking space at the end of a row of vehicles. Again with his head out the window and followed by his trademark "Like a glove!" Of course there was an open field and he could have easily parked anywhere, but where would the fun be in that?

Aside from scenes like the aforementioned, this Ace installment doesn't quite move with the same scene to scene hilarity as the original. There are lots of laughs in the movie, but the slow parts and moderate repetitiveness seem to drag the movie down a bit. It does help if you have not seen the original movie. I think if you have not experienced a lot of Carrey's antics from the first movie already, you can get a little more enjoyment out of the sequel.

Overall
Although this one is not as funny as the first Ace Ventura movie, it is still has it’s strengths. If you get a kick out of Jim Carrey’s unique style of humor, and have not seen the original, this one is definitely worth renting. If you did see the original, be prepared for a slightly slower pace, with some of the same and some new Carrey antics. Overall though, the movie is not too shabby!


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older