MovieChat Forums > Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) Discussion > Why did it get such bad reviews???

Why did it get such bad reviews???

posted 9 years ago by jname96
7 replies | jump to latest

Let me paint a picture of the context of me liking this movie: I love "indie/arthouse" films very much. In fact, my favorite genre of film is "serious dramas"... but when re-watched Ace Ventura a few years ago, I totally loved it!

I remember it got bad reviews upon release, but now it confounds me. I know it's not some serious, groundbreaking movie by any means--but it's not like the story had plotholes or was overly contrived.

It works as a very entertaining comedy, and that's that.

Thoughts? Why did critics condemn this movie so much? Cuz of it's frequent grossout humor? Cuz it's unflattering portrayal of a transgender person?

[–] WerewolfNightmare101 9 years ago

Accordingly, either the transgender with the villian or the film's catchphrases.

Then again, critics are just people payed to write these kinds of stuff, but I thought I didn't mind the film.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] giygas-12533 9 years ago

Anytime I read a review of a comedy by a critic, they absolutey lambaste it. Critics hate comedies. Jim Carrey is a friggin' comic genius.

People with no imagination don't appreciate imagination.

[–] HorrorFanatic24 9 years ago

You have no sense of humor.

[–] giygas-12533 9 years ago

Or perhaps we simply have differing senses of humor.

[–] Charlie_Runkle69 7 years ago

I dunno really. Probably comes down to whether you find Carrey's humour funny or not. I personally think it's pretty hilarious, especially the first 25 minutes or so.

[–] Cookie.L.A. (2117) 7 years ago

<< Why did critics condemn this movie so much? Cuz of it's frequent grossout humor? Cuz it's unflattering portrayal of a transgender person? >>

I think critics just saw it as a mindless lowbrow comedy (like Jerry Lewis once made). I never thought of it as getting bad reviews....did it?

If it did get bad reviews I don't think it would have been because of the transgender issue, because that's a minor point in the story and THE CRYING GAME, which kind of brought that issue more mainstream (and even then, in a foreign art house movie) came out in 1992, only 2 years before this. So ACE VENTURA was cashing in on that as a plot device, but at the same time, it's not like all critics and the public were sensitive to that topic, or group...
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