Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective | |
---|---|
Based on |
Characters by Jack Bernstein |
Screenplay by |
Jeffery Sank Jason Heimberg Justin Heimberg David Mickey Evans |
Story by |
Jeffery Sank Jason Heimberg Justin Heimberg |
Directed by | David Mickey Evans |
Starring |
Josh Flitter Emma Lockhart Ann Cusack Cullen Douglas Art LaFleur Austin Rogers Reed Alexander Ralph Waite |
Music by | Laura Karpman |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Producer(s) |
James G. Robinson David Robinson |
Cinematography | Mark Irwin |
Editor(s) | Danny Saphire |
Running time | 93 minutes |
Production company(s) | Morgan Creek Productions |
Distributor | Warner Home Video |
Release | |
Original network | Cartoon Network |
Original release | March 1, 2009 |
Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective (also known as Ace Ventura Jr. or Ace Ventura 3) is a 2009 telefilm, and the third and final Ace Ventura film. It is a direct-to-video spin-off sequel to the films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, without involvement from either Lead-Actor Jim Carrey nor Writer Steve Oedekerk. The film began production in Orlando, Florida on September 17, 2007, was directed by David M. Evans and written by Jeff Sank, Jason Heimberg, and Justin Heimberg.[1][2]
Plot
Ventura must follow in his father's (Ace Ventura Sr.'s) footsteps to save his mother from going to jail.
In the beginning, Ace is chasing a rat. He catches it, and walks straight into the alligator habitat. Later in a dream Ace sees a panda (Ting Tang) being captured. Soon his mother is blamed for the theft. She asks if she can make one phone call. She calls Rex Ventura, Ace's paternal grandfather. Rex tells Ace the history of the Ventura Family and their relationship with animals. Rex Ventura is an elderly man with several animals such as a cat, a turtle and a dog which Ace thinks is dead..
On his mother's trial, Ace presented evidence that proves that his mother didn't commit the crime; however, the Ranger, the one that Ace doesn't like, dismissed the evidence.
At school the next day, Ace hears that many of his classmates, including his crush Laura (Emma Lockhart), have lost their pets. Laura has lost her pet emerald green koi fish. Ace goes to school the next day and talks to a boy nicknamed A-Plus. A-Plus has a hidden lab in his locker, which Ace uses as his office. They believe Dr. Sickinger (Cullen Douglas) has stolen the panda because he has created a site called Pandafanatic. Sickinger is a bit insane. It turns out that he used to work for Quenton Pennington Jr. (Reed Alexander), a rich kid whose family motto is, "What a Pennington wants a Pennington gets." Dr. Sickenger is found to be innocent, so Ace must look for a new culprit. In the end Ace finds that Pennington, Sr. (Brian Patrick Clarke) stole Ting Tang and other famous animals (Tabby the tabby, Princess the lap dog, Freedom the hawk, and Callypso the magic horse), and Pennington Jr. stole Ace's classmates' pets. His mother's name is finally cleared and is rewarded for his heroics.
Ace's father does not appear in this film. Until Rex comes in to look after Ace, Ace's mom simply told her son that his dad disappeared on a business trip without going into greater detail. However, just before she's taken to jail (before Rex comes in), Mrs. Ventura further explains that Ace's father had rescued a group of endangered animals and was flying them to safety in an airplane, but the plane disappeared somewhere over the Bermuda Triangle. Ace Ventura Sr. was never seen or heard from again after that.
Cast
- Josh Flitter as Ace Ventura Jr., son of Ace Ventura Sr.
- Emma Lockhart as Laura
- Austin Rogers as Arnold Plushinsky/A-Plus
- Art LaFleur as Russell Hollander
- Reed Alexander as Quenton Pennington Jr.
- William Haze as Magician
- Cullen Douglas as Dr. Sickinger
- Ann Cusack as Melissa Robinson Ventura, wife of Ace Ventura Sr., and mother of Ace Ventura Jr.
- Ralph Waite as Rex Ventura, father of Ace Ventura Sr., and grandfather of Ace Ventura Jr.
- Jesse Kozel as Neighbor
- Brian Patrick Clarke as Mr. Pennington
- Aubrey Peeples as Daniella
- Ashley Milchman as Emo Kid #1
- Brooke Milchman as Emo Kid #2
Reception
The film received largely negative critical reception. Film Threat gave the film 1½ stars out of 5, stating "It's disappointing that this is the next, and most likely final step of the Ace Ventura franchise."[3] Common Sense Media gave it 2 out of 5 stars, summing the film up as a "Funny, animal-loving kid lost in crude script."[4] Movie Metropolis also gave a negative review, stating "What was pretty juvenile in the first place becomes literally juvenile in this straightforward kids' romp. If I were a kid, I might like it. But I'm not a kid, and I didn't."[5]
References
- ↑ Alrighty Then! Josh Flitter for Third Ace Ventura
- ↑ Jeff Sank, Jason Heimberg and Justin Heimberg On Ace Ventura Duty Archived July 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "ACE VENTURA JR.: PET DETECTIVE (DVD)". Film Threat. March 12, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ↑ "Ace Ventura Pet Detective Jr.". Common Sense Media. February 25, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ↑ Puccio, John J (February 18, 2009). "ACE VENTURA JR.: PET DETECTIVE - DVD review". moviemet.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
External links
- Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective on IMDb
- Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective at AllMovie
- Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective at the TCM Movie Database