April 29th 2024.
It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since Ace Ventura: Pet Detective first graced the silver screen. And let's just say, it hasn't exactly aged like a fine wine. Starring the legendary Jim Carrey as the eccentric private detective, this American crime comedy follows Ace on his mission to find the kidnapped dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team.
But as the plot thickens, Ace finds himself entangled in a murder investigation of the Dolphins' head of operations. And to make matters more complicated, a known convict named Ray Finkle seems to be the prime suspect. In order to uncover the truth, Ace goes undercover, using his offbeat tactics to get to the bottom of the case. The film boasts a star-studded cast, with Courteney Cox, Troy Evans, Sean Young, and Dan Marino all playing pivotal roles. However, despite its success at the box office, grossing $107 million, the film's problematic content makes for uncomfortable viewing in today's society.
One of the main issues with the film is its rampant transphobia, which has been called out by many in recent times. Finkle, who goes by the name Lieutenant Einhorn, is revealed to be a trans woman who infiltrated the police force for revenge. And as you can imagine, for a film made in the 1990s, it doesn't exactly check all the right boxes. In one scene, Ace's character, who is supposed to be the hero of the story, has a disgusting reaction upon discovering that the former football player is trans. This comes just moments after the two shared a kiss, during which Ace made a crude joke about her "gun" poking into him.
But it gets worse. When Ace has his moment of realization, he declares Einhorn to be "a man." He then proceeds to vomit in disgust and frantically brushes his teeth, as if trying to rid his mouth of the perceived contamination. He even goes as far as taking a toilet plunger to his face, trying to erase any memory of the trans woman from his mind. It's clear that he wrongly assumes that his encounter with her somehow makes him gay.
But the transphobia doesn't stop there. Ace's character is shown sitting naked in the shower, crying as if trying to wash away any trace of the trans woman from his skin. And later in the film, when confronted by Einhorn, who has the power to frame him, Ace mentions that he knows what it's like to be under pressure because he's "kissed a man." These sly jabs continue throughout the film, culminating in Ace's plan to confront Einhorn at a yacht storage facility, where he takes her hostage.
But the grand reveal is far more sinister than anyone could have anticipated. Surrounded by police, Einhorn desperately tries to "unmask" herself, only to have Ace aggressively rip off her wig and shirt, exposing her "fake breasts" which turn out to be her real ones. And to make matters worse, when Ace rips off Einhorn's skirt, he is shocked to find that she is "tucking." However, none of Ace's theories about being framed are ever proven, and it becomes clear that this was just a deranged sexual assault on an officer, witnessed by multiple people.
In the end, Ace's plan to expose Einhorn as Finkle leads to her arrest after a physical altercation. But the damage has been done, and the film's blatant transphobia leaves a sour taste in the mouths of viewers. It's clear that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective has not aged well and serves as a reminder of the harmful stereotypes and attitudes that were once normalized in mainstream media.
It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since the release of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. But as we look back on the film, it's clear that it hasn't exactly aged like a fine wine. Starring the legendary Jim Carrey as the eccentric private detective, the American crime comedy follows Ventura on his mission to find the kidnapped dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team.
But as the plot unfolds, things take a darker turn as Ventura finds himself investigating the murder of the Dolphins' head of operations. And as he delves deeper, he discovers a potential suspect in the form of Ray Finkle, a known convict. Determined to uncover the truth, Ventura goes undercover, with an all-star cast including Courteney Cox, Troy Evans, Sean Young, and Dan Marino.
Despite its success at the box office, grossing $107 million, the film's content doesn't sit well with modern audiences in 2024. The movie has faced criticism for its problematic portrayal of a trans character, specifically in regards to its rampant transphobia. Finkle, who is also known as Lieutenant Einhorn, infiltrates the police for revenge and is revealed to be a trans woman. And unfortunately, for a film made in the 1990s, it doesn't exactly align with today's standards.
In one scene, Carrey's character, who is supposed to be the hero of the story, reacts with disgust upon learning of Finkle's true identity. This comes just moments after the two shared a kiss and Ventura made a joke about her "gun" digging into him. He then proceeds to vomit and frantically brush his teeth, trying to rid himself of any trace of the trans woman. And to make matters worse, he even takes a toilet plunger to his face in a desperate attempt to erase her existence from his mind, wrongly assuming that kissing a trans person makes him gay.
But that's not where the transphobia ends. Ventura's reaction to Finkle's true self is just the tip of the iceberg. In another scene, he sits in the shower, crying as if trying to wash the trans woman off his skin. And later, when Finkle calls the police to frame Ventura, he mentions that he knows what it's like to feel under pressure because he's "kissed a man." These sly jabs at the trans community are only a taste of what's to come.
The climax of the film is where things take a dark and disturbing turn. In a moment of desperation, Ventura rips off Finkle's skirt, revealing her underwear. But to his surprise, there's nothing there. No bulge. It's at this point that Dan Marino's character informs him that Finkle is tucking, meaning she is transgender. And in a fit of rage, Ventura rips off Finkle's shirt to reveal her "fake breasts," only to find out that they are, in fact, her real breasts. This is not only a deranged sexual assault but also a violent and humiliating attack on an officer, with multiple witnesses.
In the end, Ventura's grand plan to expose Finkle as the murderer is successful, but at what cost? The film's climax is not only problematic but also deeply disturbing and offensive. And as we look back on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, it's clear that it has not aged well. While it may have had a star-studded cast and box office success, its content is not something that can be easily overlooked or excused.
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