Can you believe it has been 30 years since the hit comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective first hit the big screen?
If you saw the movie back in 1994 as I did, you probably laughed out loud multiple times throughout the flick - unaware that those same jokes would one day result in the movie being the target of criticism.
Because although the comedy will always be remembered for being the movie that launched Jim Carrey to superstardom, modern audiences believe it hasn't aged well... at all.
Playing the titular Ace Ventura, Carrey's over-the-top performance was a hit with audiences - with the movie making a whopping $107.2 million at the box office, from just a $15 million budget.
Relive the trailer for the movie below:The movie tells the story of the animal-loving Ace Ventura, a pet detective-for-hire who specializes in saving and protecting all creatures. Therefore, when he is tasked with tracking down the missing Miami Dolphins' mascot - a bottlenose dolphin named Snowflake - he stops at nothing to crack the case.
Eventually, he discovers that Snowflake was taken by a former Miami Dolphins player called Ray Finkle, who turned his back on the team after being ridiculed for missing a potentially game-winning kick.
But after struggling to find Finkle, Ace later learns that the former football star transitioned to become female, adopting the name Lois Einhorn and becoming a lieutenant in the police force.
For those of you who haven't seen the movie, you may be thinking, "Wow, that sounds like a storyline ahead of its time for a 1994 movie!" However, those of you who have seen the movie will know that this storyline was not handled as delicately as it would be 30 years later in 2024.
From jokes about Ace - who had shared a kiss with Einhorn - furiously brushing his teeth, to Ace then forcibly undressing the lieutenant to prove his point at the end of the movie, it's safe to say that these sorts of jokes just wouldn't be included if the movie was made today. And for people watching the movie for the very first time, they agree that it simply doesn't hold up.
One person recently tweeted: "Watched Ace Ventura for the first time in about 18 years and it's another one for the 'they'll never make a film like that again' list..."
A second added: "watched ace ventura for the first time today and my god the transphobia is rampant".
And a third tweeted: "Watched Ace Ventura pet detective for the first time last night. And towards the end of the movie it was hella transphobic".
"I just watched Ace Ventura Pet Detective for the first time last night, holy s**t what was that f***ed up ending," a fourth wrote.
One trans X user even quipped: "Watched Ace Ventura for the first time in about 20 years. Despite being trans, I don't think I understood what was going on with Lt. Einhorn at the time. Gotta love casual '90s transphobia!"
"Just watched Ace Ventura Pet Detective for the first time in about 20 years. That film has not held up well with what people find acceptable," another social media user added.
In fact, the movie was a topic of discussion on the Joe Rogan Podcast back in 2021.
Speaking to guest Bari Weiss, Rogan sparked the discussion of rewatching the movie with his children, saying: "Do you know what I made the mistake of doing yesterday? I watched Ace Ventura: Pet Detective with my eight-year-old and my 10-year-old."
"I didn’t realize how transphobic that f***ing movie is," Rogan added. "All the cops are throwing up... It’s off the charts."
So, happy 30th birthday, Ace! You may be destined to be remembered for being a movie many of us fondly remember, but will probably avoid watching ever again.
Never mind, I prefer the second one anyway.
