Jim Carrey has plenty of classics to his name, but there's one underrated comedy that stands out as a favourite. Find out below:
Comedy underwent a one-man evolution with Carrey's arrival. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber on their own would make anyone a star, but that back-to-back run brought him unprecedented fame.
For any child born in the '90s, his filmography was essential viewing. For me, he'll always be Lloyd Christmas, but for today's generation of youngsters, he's Dr. Robotnik, the moustachioed villain of Sonic.
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Carrey has returned in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Despite being stranded on the Mushroom Planet at the end of the first film, the blue speedster's foe is back with a 'brand new stache' and an accomplice: a spiky-fisted, red echidna known as Knuckles.
To mark the sequel's release, LADbible sat down for a chat with Carrey about the film and his career.
Sonic's success on the big screen is a rare feat, given the past fleeting success of video game movies. Carrey's involvement is particularly special though, as it'll no doubt be an introduction to his talents for some kids going to the cinema this weekend.
When asked to pick one film to hand off to younger generations to really brace them for the rest of his work, he said: "Boy, that’s a hard one - because it’s like Sophie’s Choice, man. They’re all my babies."
Carrey has done some movies specifically tailored for kids, whether it's The Grinch, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who, or Mr. Popper's Penguins.
With the exception of The Grinch, those aren't the movies most instantly think of when they hear his name. On this occasion, when nature called, Ace Ventura came to mind.
He said: "I think if you want to go to the heart of the most animated and carefree performance I’ve ever done, you’d go to Ace Ventura.
"It doesn’t care what it is, and I think that gave people a certain feeling of freedom from reality, so I’d probably go there."
Carrey then spoke about which of his films he considers to be a favourite.
"I have odd favourites that may not be for kids, but The Cable Guy is one of my favourite movies," he said.
The Cable Guy was released in 1996, starring Carrey as Ernie 'Chip' Douglas, the titular cable guy.
The film follows the havoc faced by Matthew Broderick's Steven M. Kovacs when he rejects Chip's friendship.
While still a box office success, it was met with far more mixed reviews among critics, most of whom seemed divided on the film's darker tone. It's now deservedly recognised as a cult classic and one of Carrey's finest works.
"I think Ben Stiller did an amazing job, and it’s populated with the greatest comedy actors of our day when they were just coming into their power. I love that character. That character is all of us: we were all raised by the TV," Carrey said.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 speeds into cinemas on Friday 1 April in the UK and Friday 8 April in the US.
Topics: Jim Carrey, TV and Film
Cameron Frew