Why It Ranks
When Nature Calls grossed $212 million worldwide and proved the Ace Ventura franchise was a global phenomenon. Carrey's physical comedy reaches its most extreme here. The 'Shikaka' gag is relentless genius. The rhino birth is somehow even better the second time. Peak mid-90s Carrey mania.
The Film
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls sent Carrey to Africa and let him loose on an entire continent. The rhino birth callback. The spear catch. The 'Shikaka' running gag. The film grossed $212 million because by 1995, audiences would watch Carrey do literally anything. The monastery opening sequence — where Carrey parodies Cliffhanger by failing to save a raccoon — is one of the great cold opens in comedy. The sequel is louder, dumber, and more Carrey than the original, and that is exactly what audiences wanted.
Fun Facts
Jim Carrey was paid $15 million — a massive jump from the $350,000 he earned for the first film just one year earlier.
The monastery opening was Carrey's idea — he wanted to parody Stallone's Cliffhanger, which had been a major hit.
The mechanical rhino used in the birth scene took three months to build and could only be used for a limited number of takes.
British actors Ian McNeice and Simon Callow brought Shakespearean training to their roles — the contrast with Carrey's chaos was intentional.
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