Ace Ventura Pet Detective Jr.

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Funny, animal-loving kid lost in crude script.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that kids will probably enjoy the slapstick humor of this animal-centric film, but that farting and poop jokes may garner more laughs than the rest of the script. The hero's dad is dead, and the mom is put in jail during the movie, leaving only a quirky grandfather to watch over the boy (which he does only minimally.) Kids get away with breaking and entering, and repeatedly disrespect federal officers. There are some nice lessons about being who you are, even if that makes you stand out from the crowd. Compassion for animals is central to the plot.

  • Good lessons on being true to yourself and caring for animals are muted by kids who are repeatedly disrespectful to authority figures.
  • A son lies to his mother but at least shows regret. Scenes of conspicuous consumption at a rich boy's birthday party aren't played as ironically as they should be, if the intent was to make fun of them. Poop and fart jokes (and displays) galore.
  • Dream scene of a panda cub-napping may be intense for young kids. Repeated kicks by kids to adult crotches. Kids are chased by guards who run into poles, fall down, etc. Threatening school bullies chase a nerd but don't catch him.
  • Adolescent flirtation between a lovesick tween and a classmate.
  • Not applicable.
  • Universal Studios theme park gets a major and distracting plug. Other recognizable brands include MySpace, TMobile, Heelies, CNN, Rolex, Exxon, and the CSI franchise.

What's the story?

In this straight-to-DVD movie set 15 years after the last Ace Ventura film featuring Jim Carrey, Ace's son Ace Jr. (Josh Flitter) is following in Dad's footsteps, though doesn't quite realize it yet. His mother (Ann Cusack) works at a zoo and wants Ace to try to act "normal," but the 12-year old's passion for missing pets gets in the way. When Mom is arrested and jailed under suspicion of panda cub-napping, Ace Jr. recruits a few friends to help find the panda and prove his mother's innocence, getting a little advice on how to be true to his Ventura roots from his grandfather (Ralph Waite).


Is it any good?

 

For a movie that's nominally about being yourself, ACE JR. is a lot more appealing before Flitter starts channeling his inner Jim Carrey. As an overweight, awkward 6th grader who can't help helping animals, there's a real appeal to Flitter, as when he blurts "Oh my god you're pretty!" to a girl he likes and then claps his hands over his mouth in agonized embarrassment. Putting on his Ventura pants and coif may give him confidence, but it also makes him obnoxious. He is outplayed in that only by the school's token rich kid, Quentin Pennington Jr. whose bratty exclusiveness will be familiar to viewers of MTV's My Super Sweet 16.

For kids under seven, the subplots of both famous animals and family pets going missing alongside the aforementioned panda may get confusing. And there is a lot of very naughty behavior, like the destruction of a valuable dinosaur skeleton, that is brushed under the rug. This is OK for older animal lovers to see as long as there's some discussion of what behaviors are amplified for laughs and what would be acceptable in real life.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about Ace Jr.'s devotion to helping animals.

  • How far do you think you would go to help a lost pet, and when does Ace cross a line that would put him in danger?

  • Do you think it's realistic that his classmates would be so angry at him because he offered to find their pets but didn't?


This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
Kid, 11 years old
April 2, 2010
 
Ace Ventura Pet Detective Jr.
Rated PG For Some Rude Humor

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Kid, 11 years old
March 20, 2010
 
I love the movie it does have swearing like ace goes to his freinds house asnd sais oh my god your pretty And animals kidnapped pretty intesnse

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Kid, 12 years old
September 1, 2009
 
........
HORRIBLE MOVIE ALERT

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Teen, 16 years old
March 6, 2009
 
....
ugh i cant describe this movie in words.

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Adult
November 12, 2010
 
a ace said crap and ace just kicked a guy in the balls!

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Adult
February 3, 2011
 
funny
i watched this ages ago it's funny

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Adult
April 15, 2011
 
It may say that this was a dumb movie, but I thought i was pretty good. It was very funny. The language was not an issue at all. The worst is one use of "crap", but not as in poop. Sexual things wise, the worst is when a young 13 maybe 14 year old girl kisses a boy on the cheek and confesses of knowing that he liked her all along.

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Adult
June 1, 2010
 
This movie is mildly amusing and very annoying. The main character is adorable, but he gets lost in this poorly made film. Lots of fart and poop jokes as the review said, and I just don't see those as beneficial for children of any age. I mean, do you really want to your child to go around acting like Ace Ventura Jr.? The only redeeming quality is Ace Jr.'s love for animals and for helping them, too bad that can't save this movie.

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This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
Topics:wild animals
Studio:Warner Home Video
Director:David M. Evans
Cast:Austin Rogers, Emma Lockhart, Josh Flitter
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:93 minutes
Theatrical release date:March 3, 2009
DVD release date:March 3, 2009
MPAA rating:PG
MPAA explanation:some rude humor.

This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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