Our favorite pet detective is back in action figure form, as the toymaker NECA has unveiled a new Ace Ventura: Pet Detective figure set to release this summer. This won’t be the first Ace Ventura figure from NECA, as the company has previously released an alternate version of Ace with his trademark hairstyle and Hawaiian shirt. This new NECA figure will depict Ace as he appears when he goes undercover at the Shady Acres mental hospital to investigate the strange disappearance of Miami Dolphins kicker Ray Finkle.
Standing at 8″ tall, the Shady Acres Ace Ventura figure is fully articulated. It comes clothed in a button-up shirt, plaid shorts, and pink tutu, just as Ace wore in the movie when he feigned mental illness to gain access to the facility’s storage room. The figure also comes with two interchangeable heads, so you can change Ace’s facial expression depending on how you want him posed. Also included is Ace’s pet Yorkshire terrier Wiggles, who later helps him solve the mystery behind Lieutenant Einhorn’s true identity. For collectors who prefer to keep figures in the packaging, the NECA toy also comes ready to display in box window packaging.
Directed by Tom Shadyac, the original Ace Ventura movie was released in 1994. It starred Jim Carrey as an animal detective hired to find the abducted dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins, later discovering the link between the animal’s disappearance and a football star’s fall from grace. Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young, and Dan Marino also starred. A cult classic, the movie was met with mixed reviews from critics, but nevertheless developed a cult following. Even today, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is still widely considered to be among Carrey’s best movies, standing the test of time as one of the most memorable comedies of the 1990’s.
Based on the success of the original movie, Carrey reprised the role for the 1995 sequel Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls. This time, Ace heads to an African village where he must endangered white bat. In addition to the sequel, an animated series based on the movies was also produced, though it didn’t feature the voice of Carrey as the animated version of Ace. A direct-to-video sequel, Ace Ventura Jr., was released in 2009, starring Josh Flitter as the son of Carrey’s Ace character. Carrey did not appear in the movie, and his absence is explained with dialogue stating Ace Ventura Sr. vanished years earlier while traveling through the Bermuda Triangle with a group of endangered animals.
As Carrey was willing to appear in Dumb and Dumber To and is open to starring in a new sequel to The Mask, it’s clear the comedy legend is open to returning to his most popular ’90s roles. Maybe one day we’ll see another Ace Ventura sequel with Carrey back as the titular pet detective once again. For now, we’ll have to settle for NECA’s awesome action figures. You can see more photos of the new Ace Ventura figure at NECA Online.
