Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) User Reviews

Spank you very much....

[Mister-6 · 2 September 1999]

I didn't think the first movie was any great shakes.

Sure, it had Carrey in it, running amok and mugging and mimicking and making every rude sound a kid would learn by eighth grade. But the story just kept getting in the way.

That's why "When Nature Calls", in my opinion, is much funnier.

The story of securing a sacred bat is neither too intrusive nor annoying and leaves room for gags aplenty.

And Carrey.... Well, he enters a slapstick marathon and wins the gold in every event. I swear the man is made of rubber.

Some of the jokes are pretty gross (the spitting ritual, the "guano" references, etc.) but why should that come as any surprise? Most comedies gear for that kind of humor anymore and, more or less sophisticated, reach the same common denominator: body fluids is funny, dude.

Still, without the fluids and functions, there are still great scenes (Ace's entrance in the dining hall, the monks' reaction to his departure, his behavior at the slide show, his driving habits, his escape from a mechanical rhino) and plenty of opportunities to see Hollywood's most uninhibited comedian use every conceivable part of his body to make us laugh.

I laughed. His work is done.

When this "Nature" calls, answer it.

Nine stars. And remember: do not pass go, do not collect $200.

If it ain't broke...put it in Africa.

[GiraffeDoor · 7/10 · 20 February 2023]

The same again, except now in an exotic location.

If you can stomach at all Carrey's unfiltered shenanigans where subtlety is the greatest sin then this passes the time pleasantly but forgettable, good for weekday night or maybe just killing time on a Saturday morning with your poptarts.

The mystery is enjoyable enough and well thought through enough, the animal presence is impeccable and I love the local color.

I didn't get the impression of it being too culturally insensitive.

There isn't really a character arc but you wouldn't really want one. Ventura helps forgive himself for something so there is that.

I'm glad that no characters other than him return.

First one was infinitely better

[punyerd · 7/10 · 9 December 2021]

This one is definitely funny and a somewhat worthy sequel, but nowhere near the first one. Carrey is excellent as always with these types of roles. But this one was a "more of the same" type movie that isn't as good. Which is actually the best thing they could have done, to be fair, the first one definitely shouldn't have been "fixed". Watch it if you liked the first, which you probably did.

Very very unworthy sequel

[Xophianic · 4/10 · 6 February 2000]

I was shaky about ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE. It treaded on the line between funny and silly, between good and bad. This one crossed the line. It wasn't especially bad, but I can't call it good. Most of the good jokes are recycled from ACE VENTURE: PET DETECTIVE. All that's left within ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS are stupid gags. (This proves my theory that sequels that are made the very next year of the movie are never as good, aside from SCREAM 2.)

Ace Ventura, (Jim Carrey) after accidentally letting an animal die in one of his cases, has gone into self-imposed exile. But he returns to the pet cases at the request of Fulton Greenwall (Ian McNeice) to save a sacred bat. The wealthy Vincent Cadby (Simon Callow) has paid Ventura to save the bat before two African tribes go to war over it.

Jim Carrey is his usual overacting self in this movie, but it's more annoying this time. This is the stage of his career I really didn't care for. This movie is still not as bad as DUMB & DUMBER, though, but the jokes are either old from the first movie or stupid. Ian McNeice and Simon Callow do an OK job, but their characters are not interesting because of bad plot and acting. The absence of Courtney Cox is probably the worst part of the movie.

My final analyses...don't bother with this movie unless you are a Jim Carrey fan.

Lacks the absurdly inventive twists and turns of the original

[fredrikgunerius · 6/10 · 5 August 2023]

James G. Robinson and Morgan Creek were quick to capitalize on the enormous success of Ace Venture: Pet Detective and Jim Carrey's newfound worldwide fame, and the result was this uneven but occasionally hilarious sequel. There's not much inventive about the formula, however; the dramaturgy is almost an exact copy of the original, something which suggests either laziness or solely monetary motivations. But after a somewhat strained opening in which a few too many of Ventura's mannerisms and catchphrases from Pet Detective are simply piled on and amplified (for instance "Like a glove" and the preceding action), making the character seem less spontaneous this time around, Jim Carrey eventually gets into the groove and delivers some uproarious physical comedy and fresh ideas. There's a brilliant segment from a dinner party at the consul Cadby's residence in which a snooty fur lover is humiliated, and Ventura is still at his best when mocking upper-class arrogance or lower-class ignorance. When Nature Calls lacks the absurdly inventive twists and turns of the original - instead you'll have to put up with a fair share of mucus and toilet humour - but the reward is of course another rendezvous with perhaps the greatest screen comedian since the days of Chaplin and Keaton.

The Word "Stupid" Does Not Even Come Close

[CrassActionHero · 1/10 · 22 February 2007]

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)

Review: After a funny and clever first installment, we get a sequel. However, Some sequels should have not been conceived.

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is not funny. This movie is more than just stupid, it's has a lower I.Q. than Forrest Gump. This movie does not rely on good comedy, it relies on complete and utter stupid s**t.

I was shocked on how much this sucked. The first movie had good witty comedy with a slab of clever to boot. The clever and wit of the first is not here. The plot is meaningless, the acting is too desperate and the comedy fails on so many levels. There are a few funny parts, but the rest is stupid humor, garbage humor, rinse and repeat. The main problem: somebody did not burn the script.

The Last Word: If you like stupid, and I mean unintelligent crap, than this is for you. The comedy gets tired and forced. At least Carrey got to pay the rent with the paycheck, so it's not a total loss.

Great sequel!

[LebowskiT1000 · 10/10 · 26 February 2002]

Despite most views of this movie, I thought it was just as good as (and in some aspects better than) the original. Of course there was a lot of recycled humor, but there was also a lot of original humor too. I was a little bummed to find out that Courteney Cox wasn't returning in the second installment, but they did just fine without her. I doubt it will happen, but I would love to see an Ace Ventura 3 someday.

I thought the scene where Ace is trapped inside the animatronic rhino was the funniest scene in the movie, but the film is filled with other great scenes too. I also loved the fact that he is a lover of all animals, except Bats. I thought that was such a funny idea for the character. I mean, what does that say about bats if a lover of all animals can't even stand them and finds them revolting. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. I just love the irony I guess. Anyhow, there isn't much more I can say about this film other than if you liked "Pet Detective", you should see "When Nature Calls". "Bumble-Bee Tuna",

-Chris

The weirdest Jim Carry film ever......

[owenpont-70803 · 6/10 · 27 December 2021]

This film is by far the strangest Jim Carry movie ever. I think that is why I'm not a particular huge fan of it. I know Jim Carrys films are normally crazy but this one is insane. Everything from the plot to basically the entire script of what happens in this film is just crazy. But it does have memorable scenes though so its not a dumpster fire. But its certainly not the best of his films.

Horrible sequel

[goya-4 · 2/10 · 24 September 2000]

Jim Carrey stars again as Ace Ventura in this fly by night sequel whose script looks like it was pounded out in a day.. While the first one was crude and funny ..this one is just crude..hardly any laughs at all.. it just seems tired and you just want it to end..on a scale of one to ten...2

Not nearly as good as the first one.

[layon-nachlass123 · 7/10 · 14 May 2014]

I just got done watching 'Ace Ventura' 1 as well as 2 in a row and I must sadly state: I have been disappointed.

Do not get me wrong; I like this movie, but not nearly as much as the first one. Though, gotta give it that: The movie is still pretty funny, which, however, is expected of a comedy movie.

Even though this movie is a tad longer than the first part, I just could not find myself puzzle over the (admittedly rather Indiana-Jones-like) case this time, whereas I had much fun doing that over the case in the first one. Simply put: No suspense whatsoever in this one.

As stated above, though, I did have to laugh quite a few times at the jokes presented in 'Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls', which is not the only good thing (of course). This movie does still have an interesting story, which I believe to be quite surreal compared to the first movie, though that adds some more ridiculous vibe to this comedic title.

Summarizing, there is only one thing left to say: If you solely watch this movie for the comedic purpose, you shall have a great time!

An Almost Perfect Sequel

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 7/10 · 6 December 2011]

A year before this sequel, we were introduced to Ace Ventura; a rude, wise cracking pet detective who has the reputation for being the ONLY pet detective. Guess what? He's back and still has every quality he had in the original. I know, it sounds like there's a catch here. Well there is not-at least with Jim Carrey's character.

I did not like this movie as much as the original for one reason and one reason only. No it wasn't that Courtney Cox didn't reprise her role as Melissa Robinson. That I can deal with. My problem was that the story involved some characters that made Ace Ventura's character seem stupid. What made the original funny was that Ace Ventura was on top of his game. He knew what he was doing and how he was doing it. What also made it funny was that nobody ELSE knew what he was doing and although it seemed strange, Ventura got the job done. This occurred throughout the entire first film. And that's how it goes for most of this movie.

The part of the movie that I think either did not need to be added or could have been modified was when Ace Ventura was among the African Tribes. What was so hard for me grasp was that in the first movie, they took a smart crazy detective and put him around a bunch of normal people that understood nothing of what he did. When Ventura is around the Tribe members, he is the dumb crazy detective. Why do I say this? Because Jim Carrey's character does not speak their language. It is this major flaw of why some of the laughs fail in this movie for me.

For example, when Ventura starts to eat the food at the tribe's festival, he does not realize what he was eating until he is told what it really was. I thought Ventura was the smart one here? The whole point of the first film was so that the joke would be on everyone else; now the roles are switched? Why? Does the laugh really need to be on our comedic hero? It was at that point I started to wonder whether Ace really knew what he was doing.

Of course these kinds of instances did not happen all the time. There were many parts where Ventura was surrounded by upper class people who thought they were better than he was and just like the first film he proved them wrong with a snotty remark and an obscene gesture. That's the old Ace I know! That is what made Ace Ventura such a character.

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is almost a perfect sequel. It still has good laughs but it is dumbed down by its mediocre screenplay. It is because of this that Ace Ventura does not seem always on top of everyone else like he was in the first film.

A guilty pleasure

[ericjg623 · 6/10 · 26 January 2003]

By no means is this a great comedy, but it does at least have the guts to accept no concessions to good taste in pursuit of a laugh. You get the impression the studio simply let Jim Carrey out of his cage and told him to do pretty much whatever he wanted with his Ace Ventura character. He is basically about 90% of what makes this movie work, with the remaining 10% split about equally between Ian McNeice as the guide/interpreter and the monkey, who makes a surprisingly good `sidekick' for Ace.

This is, quite simply, a case of Carrey playing yet another utterly manic, yet basically loveable, goofball character, and you either go for it or you don't. Those who like their comedy built on subtlety, wit, and sophistication will pretty much hate this movie, the rest of us just go along for the ride, watching Carrey mug for the camera with unrestrained abandon. A lot of the comic material is iffy, and without Carrey, this movie would have been a real stinker, but thanks to him we get a number of scenes that are simply priceless; whether he's hiding out in a Buddhist monastery sitting in "meditation" with a gloriously goofy grin on his face while bugs flutter around his head, driving through the jungle at insane speeds while singing the `Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' song, prancing about the posh headquarters building in front of assorted dignitaries making a complete ass out of himself or going berserk when he finds out the sacred animal he's been hired to find is a bat, the ONE creature he absolutely fears and loathes. Let's face it, when it comes to doing outrageous physical comedy (especially involving over the top facial expressions and body gestures) and, in general, behaving like a complete lunatic, Carrey is in a class by himself, and he turns what would otherwise be a lame piece of junk into what could be described as a great `bad' movie, a true guilty pleasure.

6/10

PS The DVD version, while conveniently offering up both the full and wide screen versions, contains a pretty paltry collection of "extra" features, meaning people who enjoy stuff like audio commentaries and deleted scenes will definitely be disappointed.

The monkey displayed more talent than Jim Carrey or Steve Oedekerk

[Spenser-4 · 1/10 · 6 September 2004]

I thought that Ace Ventura Pet Detective was pretty funny but this movie was so bad that I was embarrassed to be watching it. There were a couple of funny jokes repeated from the first movie. The new jokes were lame butt jokes. I probably would have thought they were funny when I was eight years old if my mother had allowed me to go to movies where men are sodomized by gorillas.

She didn't.

It is also very ironic that this movie was filmed at the 777 Ranch in Hondo, Texas. Celebrities and other rich people go there on vacation to shoot tame game animals, many of which actually appeared in the film. For $3,500 you too can personally shoot one of the scimitar horned oryx from the herd in the movie.

I enjoyed this film more than the original.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 17 July 2007]

It did not exactly take long for this film to be made after the original as it came out the very next year. While the first one was okay, I still prefer this one a bit more. Do not ask me why as I can see from the score it is not an opinion shared by most people. Still, this one starts with a bang in the form of a very funny cliffhanger spoof type scene. It then has a man going to a temple to try and lure Ace out of exile to help retrieve a rare white bat. They are soon off to Africa where hilarity ensues. Granted, once again at times Jim Carrey's performance is a bit over the top for my tastes it is still funny watching him try to fight a native warrior, escape a mechanical rhino, and punch out the monopoly man. The movie moves fast and is over before you know it as it to has a rather good ending. I am surprised that there has not been another sequel to this franchise in the past years, but there seems to be something coming out next year. Hopefully, it will be another improvement over the first two as they were funny, but at times to over the top.

If you didn't find this funny..

[arsenic_77 · 8/10 · 17 June 2008]

Well, then god help you. I've known people who are not big fans of Jim Carey's style of comedy and I can see their point. He's just outrageous and rarely witty. But this movie has a bit of everything: clever dialogues, beautiful locations, and of course Jim Carey at his very best.

I find it much funnier than any of his other works. The Mask had too few of the 'mask' scenes, Pet Detective was just about OK, nothing great. This movie though is better because the story flows freely(unlike P.D) and it has a lot of Jim Carey (unlike The Mask). The scene at the monastery is actually brilliantly shot and to have such OTT comedy at what otherwise seems so mystical a location, I've never seen something like that. And lastly, yes it may seem a bit absurd, it's Ace's love for animals that comes out quite well. To have gone to a seclusion for losing a racoon(he was not paid to find anyways) is both hilarious and heart warming.

The rhino scene alone would've made this one of my favorite comedies, but there's so much more on offer.

8/10

Carrey at his worst.

[Bing-18 · 2/10 · 20 March 2000]

The strength of the original was allowing Carrey to display his own unique brand of wild anarchic humour within a story which, while slightly ludicrous, was at least plausible, entertaining, and believeable.

This sequel fails because it looses that vital final element. While the directing allows Carrey to go a bit too far into toilet humour at times, the scene where a mechanical rhino gives birth to Carrey especially, this is half expected in a sequel to such a movie and does not ruin it entirely. Its failure is the sheer stupidity of Ventura gaining 'spiritual enlightenment' in Tibet, before being called over to Africa to meet a series of English stereotypes while trying to solve a truly implausible plot.

I still cannot believe that such respectable actors such as Simon Callow would agree to do this type of movie, something that all other Hollywood actors from the first movie avoided.

At his best, Carrey is hilariously funny, at his worst, he's like this.

underrated comedy

[CapitanSepp · 20 April 2022]

Second pet detective is much more involving than the first part in my perspective, its very amazing how past movies were innovative in many different ways, these days films are just computer made with non-talented so called actors and actresses.

some recurring bits from original, but tries too hard; Rhino scene is a savior

[jdring2007 · 7/10 · 20 June 2021]

Unlike the original, WNC feels somewhat forced at times, even from Jim Carrey. Perhaps it's because of something that even I, a big fan of the first movie and character overall, hate to admit: Ace Ventura is a pretty limited character. His quirks and all that get old real fast, once beaten into you. I suppose that's why the first movie worked so well. Although WNC was made only a year later, to me it often felt like it was some distant future attempt to revive the character. Recurring bits are one-upped effectually, though, such as the "like a glove" parking scene and the meditative "alrighty then" which I absolutely love. But really it's the extensive "rhino scene" that gets me every single time. Most of the rest of the movie feels dragged out and already done to death; chuckles, and a few belly laughs, however, will certainly accompany a first viewing.

Jim Carrey being Jim Carrey

[viniandayani · 7/10 · 13 December 2018]

Jim Carrey sense of humor sometimes hard to swallow, but once can relate, it's worth to laugh hard. And this movie really suite him, I don't think he act here, so natural, like he being himself.

FUNNY!!

[olivermackay-06757 · 7/10 · 12 April 2020]

It's your normal Jim Carrey comedy. And I love it for that.

A Complete Farce In Nearly Every Sense

[zkonedog · 1/10 · 12 March 2017]

Though I consider the first "Ace Ventura" film to be perhaps my favorite comedy of all-time, "When Nature Calls" is nothing more than a shame to both the legacy of the first film and to Jim Carrey's career.

Likely rushed to the theaters (only a year after part one) due to the success of the first movie, "Ace 2" never even comes close to capturing the pure hilarity of the first effort, and (on its own merit) isn't even that funny overall. Whereas in the first go-round Carrey was able to do his crazy facial reactions and physical comedy that made him a household name, in this film (because of the very poor quality of jokes/gags) he completely overreacts to every situation. I never thought I would say that Carrey could overreact to anything, but he actually does go WAY too far time after time after time.

Though the first 10-20 minutes of "When Nature Calls" are moderately funny, from there the movie absolutely tanks. The first time I watched it, I actually fell asleep about 20 minutes in, as the jokes/Carrey were no longer holding my interest whatsoever.

Thus, I would not wish this film on anyone. If you want more of Carrey's best performances, stay away from it at all costs, as it will leave you wondering how/why he would even sign off on the script.

Ace Ventura is a comic genius bursting to the seams with brilliance...

[cornchips13 · 10/10 · 23 May 2006]

I loved this movie ever since in come out in 1995 when i was six years old...

I love Jim Carrey am a BIG fan of him...and i think that this was his best performance...he just so funny in this movie...

"It's the mucus that binds us" still cracks me up today... His other famous saying "Ok take care now, by bye then" and "alrightly" are classic lines...

Its best to see the first movie "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", before you see the second movie so you get the feel of Ace Ventura...the jokes get so much more funnier in the second movie...

Just the way Jim acts as Ace is genius...i recommend everyone see this movie...

Even more silly than the first movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 14 September 2023]

Well, if you enjoyed the 1994 movie "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", then you most certainly will also enjoy this 1995 sequel titled "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls".

Writers Jack Bernstein and Steve Oedekerk carried on in the spirit of the first movie with the script and storyline for the sequel. However, there is a lot more silly goofy things going on in "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls". And I do believe that comes especially from Steve Oedekerk and his particular sense of odd humor. Not that it was a bad thing, because Jim Carrey certainly was able to make it work on the screen.

The acting performances in "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" were good, and aside from leading actor Jim Carrey, then the movie also had the likes of Ian McNeice and Simon Callow on the cast list.

There are plenty of laughs throughout the course of the 90 minutes that the movie ran for, which comes from a combination of the writing and the caricature acting from Jim Carrey. I will say, that while I am not overly much a fan of his, then he does have the talent to make odd movies like this work.

A movie crammed with goofy situations, hilarious dialogue, slapstick humor and a general sense of weirdness, "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" does make for a funny viewing experience, where you just disconnect your brain and enjoy Jim Carrey's shenanigans on the screen.

My rating of director Steve Oedekerk's 1995 movie "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Horrible

[noxturne · 1/10 · 18 June 2003]

I loved the first Ace Ventura. But this travesty turns what was a good detective story with lots of humor into a piece of crap. I hated this movie. I would have walked out but my friends watned to see it. I can't think of a single time i laughed in this gross monster of a movie.