Does It Hold Up? Ace Ventura Pet Detective

This is the first entry in what will potentially be the greatest Echogear blog series of all time. We're watching old movies to see if they still hold up. The internet used to be a place filled with whimsical content to make us happy. Now it's an absolute cesspool of uninformed political opinions and baby photos. Here is our attempt to bring back the randomness to a once great information superhighway by over-analyzing one of the iconic 90s comedies: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Who wore it better? Pat or Josh?

Before we dive in, quick poll. Which ECHOGEAR team member wore their respective Ace Ventura costume better in college? Comment below or Tweet it.

We had 10 of the best movie critics in the Echogear office watch and give their reviews. Our criteria for being a movie critic is having a pulse, since 10 is basically our entire staff. So, let's get started.

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Ace Ventura by the numbers:

• Release date: Feb 4, 1994
• Production budget: $12,000,000
• Worldwide box office: $107,217,396
• ROI: 9x
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
• Echogear score: 6/10

To get you in the correct mood to read our reviews, see how much of this Ton Loc Ace Ventura music video you can stomach. It's so 90's it hurts.

Why Ace Ventura Sucks

Let's get the haters out of the way first. Starting off our list of cons is the biggest anti-Ace person in the office:

Andrew

I am the only ECHOGEAR team member that actually saw Ace Ventura during its original release. I was old enough to not have my memory clouded by nostalgia, so my take is the most objective. This movie does NOT hold up. Don’t get me wrong…it was funny at the time, but that time is over. Now it's hot garbage.

Jim Carrey is way too extra. His voices, characters and bits are like a long, protracted string of In Living Color repeats. I said farewell to Fire Marshal Bill, Vera De Milo and Grandpa Jack McGee back in 1994 and I don’t want them back in my life. The real star of the movie – Ray Finkle’s mom.

Alyssa

Mediocrity at its finest! If you're a Jim Carry fan, this movie will not disappoint. If you have any taste whatsoever in what constitutes good humor, the laughs will be few and far between. The elements that hold up best in this film include the music stolen from Mission Impossible and Monica Gellar, who thankfully is better known for her role in a truly quality-comedy sitcom!

Rob

Get your pipe and scotch out for this highly distinguished review from Canadian Emmy Award Winning Videographer Rob Theoret.

Ace Ventura is a clever “whodunit” disguised as a vehicle for Jim Carrey’s malleable visage (we'll wait here while you Google that). The humor proves to be quite timeless although perhaps falling victim to its time in other regards. Shades of homophobia and transphobia are visible throughout. That being said, we can’t change the past. We can only learn from it.

Lucy

This was my first time watching Ace Ventura, and it's.....Meh. Jim Carrey’s not my thing, but I bet this movie would hold up for the Kevin James and Adam Sandler movie lovers.

Editors note: Comparing Jim Carrey to Kevin James is just plain offensive. Mentioning Ace Ventura and Paul Blart in the same sentence hurts me real deep. Now that the cons are out of the way, let's talk about why this movie is still a shredder.

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Why Ace Ventura Still Slaps

If you clicked on this article, chances are you came for the pros. Nothing will turn your day around like Ace Ventura clips. We'd love to hear why you think this movie is great. Tweet us your hot takes. After reading our money expert Pat's review, I'm slightly concerned about the future of his marriage:

Pat

Ace Ventura is a comedic CLASSIC. This movie truly makes you appreciate physical comedy, which I believe is a lost art perfected by the likes of Jim Carrey and Chris Farley—something that Gen Z’ers will never get to fully understand which is a damn shame. When I started dating my fiancée, one of the first movies I showed her was Ace Ventura. She was…unimpressed, which was borderline breakup worthy. If you don’t find humor in Jim Carrey speaking out of his rear-end then I question whether or not you are a robot. I really hope my fiancée is not a robot, but if she is that is my fault for trusting someone who doesn’t appreciate Ace Ventura.

Mark

The movie absolutely holds up but only could have come out in the early 90s. Why are good comedies so few and far between these days? Between the top notch guitar riffs and Ace's car that just keeps on running no matter what, this movie is pure entertainment. Let's not discount Courtney Cox, who is an absolute stunner.

Ace Ventura is a character that requires no backstory, he’s better off a mystery (therefore the child prequel is an abomination). More importantly, there should be a Ray Finkle origin movie spinoff…but a dark, twisted one that is nothing like the Ace Ventura tone.

Editors note: We were actually moving full steam ahead on this idea and storyboarding a trailer when we found out it had already been done. Enjoy:

And finally, what in the actual F was with that weird lair underneath the metal concert that’s tracking whales? Who is funding that operation? I love how that was totally glossed over and I never stopped to think about what that is. The lore of this movie grows with each viewing.

Emmanuelle

Ace Ventura is the man! I almost forgot how hilarious Jim Carey was. Let’s be honest, Carey’s style is a bit of an acquired taste, but it’s a taste I grew up to enjoy. Because I am such a fan of his obnoxious/physical comedy, this review might be a little biased. I didn't love the movie plot but Jim Carey extra-ness brought it home for me! I can picture the 9-year-old me rolling on the floor, heck the 25-year-old me barely stayed in her seat. True story, I was laughing so loudly that Pat our finance guy had to leave before I destroyed his eardrums. So yeah, does it hold up? Issa YAY for me, but mostly because Carey is a comedy genius.

Josh

Rewatching Ace Ventura was an absolute treat. I laughed through the entire film and watching as an adult means you actually understand all the innuendos..like this one:

Now onto my hot Finkle takes. While Ray Finkle did some very questionable deeds, let's not discount his dedication to revenge. If you squint and turn your head, it's pretty impressive. Here's a quick list:

1. Murdered a hiker
2. Had a sex change
3. Went to the police academy
4. Became a high ranking officer
5. Flawlessly executed the kidnapping of a 400lb dolphin & Dan Marino

I wish I cared about anything in my life as much as Ray Finkle cared about getting back at Dan Marino. Sure he was downright diabolical, but it doesn't mean we can't appreciate the effort. We should all try to have a little Finkle in us.

Want to see something spooky? Einhorn & Finkle share some facial features. Overlaying their faces gave me goosebumps:

I'd be remiss if Ray Finkle's mom didn't make an appearance in my review. Her line "what a sports nut, huh?" after seeing his room full of murder weapons is top notch stuff:

Philip

What I liked: The opening scene is one of the best of all time. Add that to the butt hole scene at the police station, specifically where he is in his chair and comments “oh you’ve made him mad” and you've got a timeless classic.

Nicole

What holds up? How about every hilarious quote & the over-exaggerated ridiculousness. I love how it is easy to incorporate many of these quotes into your everyday life. Also, the following gif will always be one of my fav. I think it should be more socially acceptable to break out in this dance move whenever you feel excited (about anything). Alrighty then, bye-bye now.

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Recap

At a final score of 6 votes to 4, Ace Ventura is Echogear certified to hold up. Are there any underated quotes or plot devices we missed? Let us know below.