Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Last updated
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
AceVenturaWhenNatureCallsposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Steve Oedekerk
Written bySteve Oedekerk
Based onCharacters
by Jack Bernstein
Produced by James G. Robinson
Starring
Cinematography Donald E. Thorin
Edited byMalcolm Campbell
Music by Robert Folk
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release dates
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million [1]
Box office$212.4 million [2]

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (also known as Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls) is a 1995 American detective comedy film and the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and the second installment of the Ace Ventura franchise. Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame and captive animals, and has been summoned to Africa to locate a missing bat. Ian McNeice, Simon Callow, and Sophie Okonedo co-star. Tommy Davidson, who co-starred with Carrey on the show In Living Color , makes a cameo appearance in the film. The film was written and directed by Carrey's close friend Steve Oedekerk, who had also collaborated in the production and as a character consultant for the first film.

Contents

Plot

In the Himalayas, after a failed rescue mission results in a raccoon falling to its death, Ace Ventura succumbs to severe depression and joins a Tibetan monastery. Once he has recovered, he is approached by Fulton Greenwall, a British correspondent working for the consulate of Bonai Province in the fictional African country of Nibia. Because Ace is a liability for the monastery, the Grand Abbot gives Ace excuses to justify his departure, and sends him off with Greenwall.

Greenwall is subjected to Ventura's eccentric behavior when he starts mimicking different mating calls, and his reckless driving when they head along to Africa, warning him about the hostility of eastern lowland gorillas, as it is mating season. Greenwall wants Ventura to find the Great White bat 'Shikaka', a sacred animal of the native Wachati tribe, which disappeared shortly after being offered as dowry of the Wachati Princess, who is set to wed the Wachootoo Prince in a marriage of state. After arriving in Nibia and meeting with consul Vincent Cadby, Ace begins his investigation, but must overcome his fear of bats in order to succeed.

Accompanied by his pet capuchin monkey Spike, Ace begins his search for the missing bat. He eventually befriends the tribe's princess, who tries to seduce Ace. However, Ace admits his oath to clerical celibacy. Ace also befriends the tribal prince, Ouda, who assists Ace. Ace's investigation involves eliminating obvious suspects—animal traders, poachers, and a safari park owner among others—and enduring the growing escalations of threat between the Wachati and the Wachootoo. After being tranquilized by drugged blow-darts, Ace suspects the medicine-man of the Wachootoo of taking the bat, as he is vehemently opposed to the wedding.

He and Ouda sneak into the Wachootoo tribal village with hopes of finding the bat, and are soon captured. The Wachootoo mistake Ace as the "White Devil", and after Ouda poorly translates Ace's words, they are convinced he wants to fight them and have him go through many painful and humiliating challenges to gain their trust. He creatively passes them all, and his final challenge is a 'Circle of Death' fight with their toughest warrior—who, although short in stature, easily defeats Ace. Ace's antics entertain the Wachootoo, who grant Ace their trust and release him.

Despite this, the Wachootoo declare that if the bat is not returned in time, they will declare war on the Wachati tribe and kill Ace. As a parting joke, Ace is shot in the buttock by a non-drugged blow-dart by the Chief to make his people laugh again. As he and Ouda walk back to the village, Ace realizes the dart he was shot with earlier is not the same as the one he was just shot with, meaning that the Wachootoo did not take Shikaka. He also determines that the dart which shot him earlier was carved from a rare red fungus-bearing acala. This leads him to find two Australian poachers with the bat, and he distracts them by mimicking a Silverback mating call. They find Ace and shoot the initial darts into him, take him away and attempt to kill him by tying him to a raft which is sent over a waterfall.

Ace survives and continues to investigate how the poachers are involved with the war between the tribes, concluding there is something valuable in it. Stressed by the case, Ace consults the Grand Abbot via astral projection. Advised by the Abbot, Ace deduces that Cadby has taken the bat, having planned to let the tribes destroy each other so that he can then take possession of the numerous bat caves containing guano to sell as fertilizer worth billions. When Ace confronts Cadby, he learns he was hired as Cadby's alibi once an investigation takes place, and is arrested by tribal security chief Hitu. Ace escapes with help from an elephant who joins him and more jungle animals to raid Cadby's house. Cadby tries to shoot Ace, but is stopped by Greenwall when he punches him in the face. Cadby escapes with the bat in a Land Rover, but Ace follows him in a monster truck. Ace destroys Cadby's car, leaving the bat cage lodged in a tree.

Ace, despite his chronic fear of bats, courageously yet dramatically grabs the bat with his bare hands and returns it just as the tribes are about to fight each other on the battlefield. Cadby, watching nearby, is noticed by Ouda, who calls him the "White Devil" and incites both tribes to pursue him, giving Ace more time. After escaping, Cadby encounters an amorous Silverback eastern lowland gorilla, who mistakes him for a mate. The Wachati Princess is married to the Wachootoo Prince, who is revealed to be the tiny warrior who defeated Ace during the 'Circle of Death' tribal challenge earlier. Moments later, it is discovered that the young bride is no longer a virgin, on Ace's account. Despite this, peace between the once-separate tribes is achieved when the two tribes join together and chase after Ace.

Cast

Production

Filming

Filming began under Tom DeCerchio, who later directed Celtic Pride (1996). [3] [ better source needed ] Because of the success of the first film, Morgan Creek Entertainment Group gave lead-actor Jim Carrey the power to decide the director. In April 1995, Carrey had DeCerchio replaced with Steve Oedekerk, who had worked on the film's predecessor as a script consultant and wrote the screenplay for this film, but had no previous experience with directing feature films. Spike Jonze wanted to direct the film, but Carrey turned him down as he also had no experience but he mainly did not know him well enough. Carrey claims this to be one of his biggest regrets. [4] However, Carrey reiterated he does not regret enlisting Oedekerk to direct as they were friends with creative similarities, which included improvising, changing scenes during filming, and had a vast understanding of the main character. [5] Carrey would sometimes would be absent from the set which caused the production go behind schedule. [6] In June 1995, scenes were shot in South Carolina. [5] The following month, filming took place outside Hondo, near San Antonio, Texas. [7]

Part of the film was also shot in British Columbia, Canada. The film was shot in Super 35. Carrey was paid $10 million for his role due to Oedekerk's authority as director. [5]

Music

Soundtrack

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is a 1995 soundtrack on this film by composer Robert Folk.

  1. "Africa (What Made You So Strong)" - 3:28 (Johnny Clegg and Savuka)
  2. "Spirits in the Material World" – 4:41 (Sting and Pato Banton)
  3. "Secret Agent Man" – 2:16 (Blues Traveler)
  4. "Don't Change" – 3:41 (Goo Goo Dolls)
  5. "Burnin' Rubber" – 3:18 (Mr. Mirainga)
  6. "Boll Weevil" – 3:17 (The Presidents of the United States of America)
  7. "Blur the Technicolor" – 4:09 (White Zombie)
  8. "Watusi Rodeo" – 2:35 (The Reverend Horton Heat)
  9. "Here Comes the Night" – 3:28 (Native)
  10. "Jungle Groove" – 5:13 (Montell Jordan)
  11. "Ife" – 4:23 (Angélique Kidjo)
  12. "My Pet" – 2:47 (Matthew Sweet)
  13. "It's Aliright" – 4:54 (Blessid Union of Souls)
  14. "Ace in Africa" – 4:40 (Robert Folk)

Release

Theatrical

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls was released on November 10, 1995. [2]

Home media

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls was released on Blu-ray by Warner Home Video on September 3, 2013, [8] and on April 23, 2019 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. [9]

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $37,804,076 during its opening weekend, taking the #1 spot. [10] In the U.S. and Canada, the film grossed $108.3 million, and in other territories, it grossed $104 million. The worldwide gross was $212.3 million. Against its $30 million budget, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls was a major financial success, [2] surpassing its predecessor.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 21% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Nature Calls in this Ace Ventura sequel, and it's answered by the law of diminishing returns". [11] On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [12] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F. [13]

Accolades

1996 ASCAP Award

1996 American Comedy Award

1996 Kid's Choice Awards

1996 MTV Movie Awards

1996 Razzie Awards

1996 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards [14]

Sequel

A standalone made-for-TV sequel, titled Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective, was released in 2009 to poor reception.

In March 2021, there were reports that a direct sequel under the working title Ace Ventura 3 is in development at Amazon Studios. [15] [16] Pat Casey and Josh Miller, writers of Sonic the Hedgehog , were attached as writers for the film. [17] [18] [19] Although there are no official plans for the film, Jim Carrey joked that he would star in the movie if Christopher Nolan were to direct the film. [20] [21] Jim Carrey himself would also take to his Instagram in August 2021, posting a picture of Ace and writing on the post, "More than ready for the next chapter."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Carrey</span> Canadian-American actor and comedian (born 1962)

James Eugene Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian known for his energetic slapstick performances. After spending the 1980s honing his stand-up comedy act and portraying mostly supporting roles in films, Carrey gained wide recognition in 1990 when he was cast in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a film star after starring in a string of box office hits with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber, which he followed up with Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Batman Forever. The success of these five films led to Carrey being the first actor to receive a $20 million salary for performing in films, beginning with The Cable Guy (1996).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knuckles the Echidna</span> Video game character

Knuckles the Echidna is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's secondary best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he fights his enemies using brute force and strength. His role is established as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a large gemstone which controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his tribe, the Knuckles clan.

<i>Bruce Almighty</i> 2003 film by Tom Shadyac

Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God that he is not doing his job correctly and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. It co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall, and Tony Bennett. The film is Shadyac and Carrey's third collaboration, after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Liar Liar (1997).

<i>Ace Ventura: Pet Detective</i> 1994 film by Tom Shadyac

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American crime comedy film, starring Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, an animal detective who is tasked with finding the abducted dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team. The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, who wrote the screenplay with Jack Bernstein and Jim Carrey. The film co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young, and then–Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and features a cameo appearance from death metal band Cannibal Corpse.

<i>Dumb and Dumber</i> 1994 comedy film by Peter Farrelly

Dumb and Dumber is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the Dumb and Dumber franchise. Starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, it tells the story of Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), two dumb but well-meaning friends from Providence, Rhode Island, who set out on a cross-country trip to Aspen, Colorado, to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, thinking it was abandoned as a mistake though it was actually left as a ransom. Lauren Holly, Karen Duffy, Mike Starr, Charles Rocket, and Teri Garr play supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Ventura</span> Movie and television character

Ace Ventura is a title character created by screenwriter Jack Bernstein. Ace was performed by Jim Carrey in the films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, released in 1994, and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, released in 1995, and was voiced by Michael Daingerfield in the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Oedekerk</span> American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian (born 1961)

Steven Brent Oedekerk is an American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, and The Nutty Professor remake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Okonedo</span> English actress (born 1968)

Sophie Okonedo is an English actress. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA TV Awards, an Emmy Award, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019, both for services to drama.

<i>The Mask</i> (1994 film) Film by Chuck Russell

The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film directed by Chuck Russell and produced by Bob Engelman from a screenplay by Mike Werb and a story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden. It is the first installment in the Mask franchise, based on the comic book series of the same name published by Dark Horse Comics. It stars Jim Carrey in the title role along with Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz in her film debut. Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, an ordinary man who finds a magical wooden mask that transforms him into the titular green-faced troublemaker that has the ability to cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. Filming began on August 30, 1993, and concluded in October 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian McNeice</span> British actor

Ian McNeice is an English film and television actor, best known for playing Bert Large in the dramedy Doc Martin. He found fame portraying government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series Edge of Darkness, and went on to feature in popular films such as The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Frank Herbert's Dune.

<i>Ace Ventura: Pet Detective</i> (TV series) Canadian animated series based on the film of the same name

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is an animated television series based on the film of the same name. The series was produced by Morgan Creek Productions, Funbag Animation Studios, Nelvana Limited, for the first two seasons and Odyssey Entertainment for the third and final season. It aired for two seasons from 1995 to 1997 on CBS. A third season and reruns of previous episodes aired on Nickelodeon from 1999 to 2000.

<i>High Strung</i> (1991 film) 1991 film by Roger Nygard

High Strung is a 1991 American independent comedy film directed by Roger Nygard. It stars Steve Oedekerk as Thane Furrows, an uptight children's author who rarely leaves his house, eats only cereal, and is irritated by everything around him. It also stars Thomas F. Wilson, Fred Willard, Denise Crosby, Jani Lane, and Jim Carrey, and also contains a short cameo appearance by a young Kirsten Dunst.

<i>Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective</i> American TV series or program

Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective is a 2009 American made-for-television adventure comedy film standalone sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, without involvement from either lead actor Jim Carrey or writer Steve Oedekerk. The third installment in the Ace Ventura franchise, it began production in Orlando, Florida on September 17, 2007, and was directed by David Mickey Evans and written by Jeff Sank, Jason Heimberg, and Justin Heimberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Eggman</span> Video game character

Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ohshima chose to use his previous egg-shaped character to create the antagonist of the 1991 video game Sonic the Hedgehog, making him the arch-nemesis of the series' eponymous main character.

<i>Ace Ventura</i> (franchise) Media franchise created by Jack Bernstein

The Ace Ventura franchise, originally created by Jack Bernstein, consists of American detective-comedies, with two theatrical films, one made-for-television film, and one animated television series. The overall story follows the criminal investigations of the titular and comedic pet detective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Carrey filmography</span> Actor filmography

Jim Carrey is a Canadian and American actor and comedian who has appeared in various feature films, television films/series, along with one video game appearance. He is one of the top-50 highest-grossing actors of all time at the North American box office, with over $2.5 billion total gross and an average of $94.3 million per film. He has been involved with thirteen films that grossed over $250 million at the worldwide box office; the highest-grossing film being Bruce Almighty. Carrey gained his first lead role on the short-lived television series The Duck Factory in 1984, playing a young cartoonist. His first starring role in film was the 1985 comedy horror Once Bitten, with Lauren Hutton as a vampire countess and Carrey playing her victim. He landed supporting roles in films, such as Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), The Dead Pool (1988) and Earth Girls Are Easy. In 1990, Carrey received his commercial breakthrough on Fox's In Living Color (1990–1994), where he displayed his character work.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (film) 2020 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series of the same name published by Sega. The film was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It stars Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey. The plot follows Sonic, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds, who teams up with a town sheriff to stop mad scientist Dr. Robotnik.

Bohdan Tůma is a Czech actor and voice actor. He is one of the most famous actors in the dubbing industry of Czech Republic, being the main voice actor for Jack Black, Jim Carrey and Denzel Washington.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> (film) 2022 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. It was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington. Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, Colleen O'Shaughnessey and Jim Carrey reprised their roles, with Idris Elba and Shemar Moore joining the cast. In the film, Sonic and Tails must find the Master Emerald before the villain Dr. Robotnik and a new rival, Knuckles the Echidna.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</i> (film) Upcoming film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an upcoming action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega and the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). Directed by Jeff Fowler, the film stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey reprising their roles.

References

  1. ↑ "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information - The Numbers" . Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)". Box Office Mojo. 1996-03-02. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  3. ↑ "Tom DeCerchio". IMDb.
  4. ↑ "Jim Carrey Has Always Regretted Turning Down Spike Jonze As Director of Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls". September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Wechsler, Pat; Friedman, Roger D. (1995-06-05). "Jim Carrey, Remote Control Director". New York . Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  6. ↑ "The Behind the Scenes Troubles of Ace Ventura 2". 25 April 2018.
  7. ↑ Schruers, Fred (1995-07-13). "Jim Carrey: Bare Facts and Shocking Revelations". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  8. ↑ Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Blu-ray , retrieved 2022-05-20
  9. ↑ Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Blu-ray , retrieved 2022-05-20
  10. ↑ "Weekend Box Office : 'Ace' Joins List of Strong Openers". Los Angeles Times . 14 November 1995.
  11. ↑ "Ace Ventura - When Nature Calls (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  12. ↑ "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  13. ↑ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
  14. ↑ "Past Winners Database". 2007-01-03. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  15. ↑ Hannah Lovejoy (March 21, 2021). "Ace Ventura 3 in talks with Amazon with Sonic the Hedgehog writers". Digital Spy . Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  16. ↑ Michael Kennedy (March 21, 2021). "Ace Ventura 3 Updates: Release Date Story Cast (Everything We Know So Far)". Screen Rant . Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  17. ↑ Joseph Knoop (March 19, 2021). "Ace Ventura 3 in development from Sonic the Hedgehog writers". IGN . Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  18. ↑ Kofi Outlaw (March 19, 2021). "Ace Ventura 3 In Development at Amazon with Sonic the Hedgehog writers". Comic Book Movie . Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  19. ↑ Daniel Gillespie (March 19, 2021). "Ace Ventura 3 in the works from the Sonic The Hedgehog writers". Screen Rant . Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  20. ↑ Jonathan Fuge (April 7, 2022). "Jim Carrey Would Return for Ace Ventura 3 Under One Condition". MovieWeb . Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  21. ↑ Will Lavin (April 9, 2022). "Jim Carrey would consider doing 'Ace Ventura 3' if Christopher Nolan Directed it". NME . Retrieved May 9, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.