I Love You Phillip Morris

Not as Challenging as expected but definitely as funny

Lover: Taken from IMDB
“It's more unique than rare that a film affects me this much. The center, the emotional center of Phillip Morris has entered my subconscious in a way that I can't quite describe. It changed my perception of things. This is the first time I see two men kissing that made complete sense. I believe and understood like never before the "normalness" of the feeling. I liked "Brokeback Mountain" too but in that case, the torturous path of self-loathing that the Heath Ledger character goes trough, kept me at the periphery of the story like a sympathetic, moved spectator. Here I was part of it, of them. I'm sure Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor have a lot to do with it. No cheap shots, no low comedy. They are so true that you can't help http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifloving them and rooting for them, flaws and all. I predict "I Love You Phillip Morris" will become the sleeper of 2009.”

Quite a statement saying a film has changed your perceptions but I can see why they would say so, Phillip Morris deals with homosexuality in a comedy without making it all a camp nightmare.

Hater: Taken from IMDB
“I bought this "blind" - wanted a bluray disc for my new machine and saw this with recognised names in the cast and the words "outrageously funny" (News of the World)and "hilarious" (Instyle) on the box. Not unreasonably I expected to be amused by it but there isn't a laugh (nor even a smile) to be had. Jim Carrey seems to think that pulling faces makes you laugh, well probably if you're under 5, and the plot (what was it?)just rambles on to nowhere. Perhaps some people laugh at explicitly implied homosexual activity (eg inferred oral sex on a boat followed by a spit overboard)amusing. I just thought it sordid and inappropriate for a 15 certificate. Great moment is made of it being a true story but I could write a true story of my life this week & it wouldn't mean it was interesting - although it would probably be more amusing than this. Frankly, I have spent more worthwhile time in the dentist's chair than watching this tasteless, embarrassing bore.”

The argument that there are no laughs to be had is silly; as I laughed. So for some people there will be laughs to have, I sincerely hope a 5 year old doesn’t watch this though! The plot could not be easier to follow and I’m pretty sure this person has never escaped from prison so no their life story would not make a funny film.

What I thought:
You’ll hear some things about this film being daring and brave and really it’s not that brave, so its two very well-known actors acting gay and really going for it. The fact that the main relationship in this film is between two men does not matter it’s a comedy about a brilliantly intelligent man who constantly outwitted the U.S penal system. Knowing that this was based on real events only adds to these ingenious schemes to escape and be with his beloved.

No doubt it has strong themes running through it, however if you Watch this film hoping for some hard edged Brokeback Mountain style issues about homosexuality, chances are you’ll hate it. It’s just a very funny and very original comedy with no shame in the fact its main character is morally and sexually ambiguous. Another issue you might find watching this is mainly an issue for the women who find Ewan Macgregor attractive, I only say this because my wife who happens to have a thing for the Scott couldn’t even look at the screen when the actors shared their ‘intimate’ moments.

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Like the first one, only MORE!

Lover: Taken from IMDB
“I don't normally respond to these kinds of things, but after reading some of the negative responses I couldn't help myself. There is a movie out there for everyone, something everyone NEEDs to laugh at and who can relate to. This movie is the opidemy of my humor and the extreme way it portrays the upper crust world of stuffy, snobby, self absorbed unrealistic people who think the world revolves around their view and opinions is classic and makes me laugh in a way that is honest for me. I read that some people were offended by it and want to get others to share their view. All I gotta say is, "If you didn't like the first one, why did you go to see the second one? Just to complain?" Do all of us "Friends" of Jim Carey a favor, if you don't like his humor, just go find some stuffy anal retentive "fluff" film, and write reviews on them that we will never read since those movies are for stuck-up self absorbed types. Sorry I just didn't think it fair that these people are "Flameing" this as if there are no other possibilities. Thanx for reading.”

Fair enough with one very good point; if you didn’t like the first one don’t bother with this, though I’m not sure about the spelling of Thanks.

Hater: Taken from IMDB
“Movie lesson #1 - never go into a sequel expecting something as good as the original. It never happens. But, seldom will a series fall as far and as hard as Ace Ventura did. The 1994 original, while not a classic piece of moviemaking by any means, but it was a funny movie with a somewhat coherent mystery plot to back it up. This 1995 sequel has none of that. The "plot" (I use the term loosely because this movie goes on so many pointless tangents it's hard to tell where the plot is half the time) brings famed pet detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) out of Miami and into the jungles of Africa, after he is called upon to find a missing white bat that was to be given as a dowry between two warring tribes. An intriguing idea, especially since, as it turns out, bats are the only animals that Ace can't stand. But, unfortunately, the list of things this movie does wrong runs about as high as the things it could have done right. The idea of Ventura attempting to capture the one animal he hates could have been milked of every possible comic opportunity it could. But, it's done for nothing. Okay, so the movie does contain a few good laughs. But they are too quick and too far between. And, when your funniest joke is about a naked man falling out the back end of a mechanical rhino, you're not holding much.”

First things first some sequels are good and in very rare occasions better. Secondly there was a plot and I’d feel sorry for anyone who couldn’t follow it, yes it’s basically all about Bat poo but it is “coherent”. Clearly decided they weren’t going to like it before they saw it.

What I thought:
This sequel is in many ways exactly the same as the original, the difference here is that it turns everything up. The comedy is faster paced and sillier than the first, with Jim Carrey fully committed to making Ace Ventura as eccentric as he can be. It does however turn up everything so this time the story is even thinner and when your only biggest plot device is poo it’s clear your just using it for laughs rather than character development, action etc…

You could argue that it doesn’t make use of some of the things that are bigger, from the opening “Cliffhanger” inspired scene, Monasteries high in mountains to thick African Jungle these settings don’t appear as lush as they could be. However who cares when Ace is regurgitating for a baby bird, using a slinky or trying to run with his arms going numb? You’ll be laughing too much! There is also more acting clout with the likes of Simon Callow playing bad guys but their only there so that Ace can essentially take the piss out of them, the fact that they are so straight faced the whole way though it only adds to humour!

Does it make this a bad movie, well in truth not at all and in my honest opinion I enjoy this one more. The space that is left for Jim Carrey to go completely mad with it is immense and leads to a film that has more belly laughs and more quotable lines. Once again however it comes down to one thing; sense of humour, some love it some don’t.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Jim Carrey at his zaniest!

Lover: Taken from IMDB
“I'm guessing that everybody knows the story of this movie by now, but for those who might not have had the opportunity to see this great movie, it's quite a simple formula. The Miami Dolphins mascot is stolen and by word-of-mouth advertising Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is called into manic action. His job is to find the dolphin and return it before The Miami Dolphins' crucial game. Jim Carrey is quite simply amazing, I never stopped laughing the whole way through the movie. This is surely Carrey's best work, even now. OK, Dumb and Dumber and The Mask are very funny movies too, but this takes the biscuit. Everything Ace does made me laugh, from whipping football player's with a towel to get a ring imprint to showing up at a mansion party and being his usual manic self. 100 laughs per hour, if you have a sense of humour, then this movie is for you!!!”

A good review but Ace Ventura is definitely an acquired taste when it comes to sense of humour…

Hater: Taken from IMDB
“It's mainly because of Ace Ventura. He's just too much here, too much to the point where it's just stupid and VERY annoying and just not funny. He was a lot better in The Mask and Bruce Almighty, but here, it's just too much. I don't understand why people find Jim Carrey doing dumb faces or saying dumb things hilarious, it's really not. It's just stupid. How was this a hit film? How did it do it? Did people really watch crap like this? Because honestly, that's like watching Chris Crocker kiss another man, I mean seriously, it's just NOT FUNNY! It's just so bad, and people are saying "no it's not Jim Carrey, he did amazing" no, honestly, it WAS him, because he was just too much here, and it's just not funny, it's stupid. Definitely a 1/10, an abysmal film, watching it was worse than cutting up my butt with razor blades and rolling in a pile of salt.”

… And this review proves my point, Ace Ventura is Jim Carrey at his absolute craziest and clearly it goes too far for some people. Me on the other hand…

What I thought:
This incredibly silly comedy works for me mainly on two areas, the fact that I still have the sense of humour of a 12 year old boy (vital in liking this film!) and it makes me very nostalgic. This and the sequel (Natures Call) got me though the last few years at secondary school, where me and my friends quoted it endlessly along with another Jim Carrey hit; Liar Liar. This means that every time I watch it I still laugh in the same places and feel the need to instantly call or text my old school friends the same parts we used to do.

This aside, Ace Ventura is as I have said before an acquired taste. If you have a very silly sense of humour you should get a kick out of it every time our hero is on screen. It dips a bit every time he’s off it (which thankfully isn’t much). Some people however will just find it silly and not funny at all, this film is not for them, they should be watching Woody Allen or something! It’s important to forget things like plot and character development when watching any of Carrey’s older films and this is no exception. A thin ‘looking for a dolphin / gender bending plot twist’ ties the movie together but this is just a stage for Jim Carrey’s silliest character. It’s brilliantly funny if you have the right sense of humour.

The Buzz: 23/08/10

Angies a busy lady

Some X-Men: First Class Bread Crumbs

Jim Carrey to pop some penguins

Hanks and Bullock up for post 9/11 film.