Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls poster
Directed by	Steve Oedekerk
Produced by	Gary Barber Bob Israel Andrew G. La Marca James G. Robinson
Written by	Steve Oedekerk
Based on	Characters: Jack Bernstein
Starring	Jim Carrey Ian McNeice Simon Callow Maynard Eziashi Bob Gunton Sophie Okonedo Tommy Davidson
Music by	Robert Folk
Cinematography	Donald E. Thorin
Studio	Morgan Creek Productions O Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	November 10, 1995 (1995-11-10)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$30 million
Box office	$212,385,533

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is the 1995 sequel to the 1994 film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame or captive animals. This is the only sequel to a film starring Carrey in which Carrey reprised his role. Ian McNeice, Simon Callow, and Sophie Okonedo co-star. Tommy Davidson, who co-starred with Carrey on the show In Living Colour, makes a cameo appearance in the film.

The film was written and directed by Steve Oedekerk, who had also collaborated in the making of the earlier movie. Tom DeCerchio, the director of Celtic Pride, was originally slated to direct the film but left after shooting began. The film has developed a large cult following since its release. It was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective, in 2009.

Plot

After failing the rescue attempt of a raccoon in the Himalayas (a parody of Cliffhanger), Ace Ventura undergoes an emotional breakdown and joins a Tibetan monastery. A while after rehabilitation, he is approached by Fulton Greenwall, a British correspondent working for a provincial consulate in the fictional African country of Nibia. Because Ace's influence is disruptive to the monastery, the Grand Abbot gives Ace excuses by which to justify his departure, and sends him with Greenwall.

Thereafter, Greenwall asks Ventura to find the white bat 'Shikaka', a sacred animal of the Wachati tribe, which disappeared shortly after being offered as dowry of the Wachati Princess, who is set to wed the Wachootoo Prince to form armistice between the two people. Accompanied by his capuchin monkey, Spike, Ace travels to Africa to search for the missing bat.

After arriving in Nibia and meeting with consul Vincent Cadby, Ace begins investigating his case as well as the possible suspects; but must overcome his fear of bats in order to continue doing so. He travels to the Wachati tribal village, where he learns that if the bat is not returned in time, the Wachootoo will declare war on the Wachati tribe. Thereafter much of Ace's activity 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. This proves difficult, and is made more so by other incidents including attempts to kill him, a series of gruelling tasks set by the Wachootoo, and the Wachati princess's attempts to seduce him.

Perplexed by the mystery, Ace consults the Grand Abbot via astral projection. Advised by the Abbot, Ace deduces that Vincent Cadby has taken the bat and hired Ace to divert suspicion from himself, 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 with this knowledge, in which Ace learns he was hired as Cadby's alibi, he is arrested by tribal security chief Hitu; but calls an elephant to escape, and then summons herds of jungle animals to destroy Cadby's house. Cadby then tries to shoot Ace, but is thwarted by Greenwall who punches him in the face. Cadby escapes with the bat in a car, but Ace follows him in a Monster truck. In pursuit, Ace destroys Cadby's car, leaving the bat cage lodged in a tree.

Ace, despite his chiroptophobia, dramatically returns the bat to the tribes; and Cadby, watching nearby, is discovered by the Wachati Prince Ouda and pursued by both tribes, later to be raped by an amorous silverback gorilla. The Princess is married to the Prince, who Ace had to fight as one of the Wachootoo tribal challenges. Moments later, it is discovered that the young bride is no longer a virgin, apparently on Ace's account. Both tribes then pursue Ace, concluding the movie.

Cast

• Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura
• Ian McNeice as Fulton Greenwall
• Simon Callow as Vincent Cadby
• Maynard Eziashi as Ouda
• Bob Gunton as Burton Quinn
• Damon Standifer as the Wachati Chief
• Sophie Okonedo as the Wachati Princess
• Arsenio 'Sonny' Trinidad as Ashram Monk
• Danny D. Daniels as Wachootoo Witch Doctor
• Andrew Steel as Mick Katie
• Bruce Spence as Gahjii
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Hitu
• Tommy Davidson as the Tiny Warrior
• Frank Welker as Animals' vocal effects (uncredited)^{[citation needed]}

Production notes

Jim Carrey, based on the box office success of the first Ace Ventura film, received a salary of $15 million for this sequel.

The movie was set in a fictional location in Africa but was actually shot in various locations in and around Charleston, South Carolina.

Part of the film was shot in San Antonio, Texas and British Columbia, Canada.

When listing other words that start with "sh-" after hearing of the Shikaka, Ace includes "Shawshank Redemption". This may be a nod to actor Bob Gunton, as he appears in this film and The Shawshank Redemption, also when Ace has Bob Gunton's character, Burton Quinn, tied to a chair, Ace calls him "Sweeny Toad", a nod to Bob Gunton, who played Sweeny Todd in theater renditions of Sweeny Todd.

Alternative versions

When aired in syndication, there is an alternative version of the 'rhino scene' (wherein Ace must escape with difficulty from within a mechanical rhinoceros) in which Ace stands up after emerging from the rhino and shouts "Man was I lost!".

The UK release of the film features a number of cuts, equalling one minute and 35 seconds for the theatrical release, plus a further three seconds when re-classified for home video. These cut scenes include:

• Elements of the raccoon rescue attempt;
• Ace's comment of "Excuse me, your balls are showing. Bumblebee tuna!" to a crouching tribe member;
• Ace's snorting when displaying his affection to the chief;
• A scene wherein Greenwall catches Ace masturbating, made more explicit by Ace's shadow on the wall and some of Ace's speech;
• Some images of Ace prodding his eyeball while interrogating Quinn;
• A scene wherein after removing the apple core from one Wachootoo's throat, Ace then pushes a baby out of a pregnant Wachootoo woman; and
• During Ace's duel, the warrior stands on Ace and tears the spears from his legs.

During the 'projector scene', the U.K. version features Ace casting bird-like shadows with both hands, as opposed to the single hand in the original release.

This film was shot in Super 35, so the fullscreen version is open matte, and reveals more to the top and bottom of the screen (sections that were not actually intended to be seen); it also crops the sides.

Release

Box office

The film had an Opening weekend U.S. gross of $37,804,076, with a total U.S. box office gross of $108,360,063

Critical reception

The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. It currently holds a 33% Rotten rating based on 24 reviews. The film received similar reception on Metacritic, gaining a metascore of 45 among critics. But like it's predecessor, it has received positive reception from the public.

Accolades

1996 ASCAP Award

• Top Box Office Films - Robert Folk (Won)

1996 American Comedy Award

• Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) - Jim Carrey (Nominated)

1996 Kid's Choice Awards

• Favorite Movie - (Won)
• Favorite Movie Actor - Jim Carrey (Won)

1996 MTV Movie Awards

• Best Male Performance - Jim Carrey (Won)
• Best Comedic Performance - Jim Carrey (Won)
• Best Kiss - Jim Carrey and Sophie Okonedo (Nominated)

1996 Razzie Awards

• Worst Remake or Sequel - James G. Robinson (Nominated)

1996 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards

• Worst Picture - James G. Robinson (Nominated)
• Worst Actor - Jim Carrey (Nominated)
• Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy - James G. Robinson (Won)
• Worst Sequel - James G. Robinson (Won)
• The Sequel Nobody Was Clamoring For - James G. Robinson (Nominated)

External links

• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls at the Internet Movie Database
• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls at AllRovi
• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls at the TCM Movie Database
• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls at Rotten Tomatoes