Among the most famous comedy actors Hollywood has ever seen, Jim Carrey has appeared in numerous laugh-out-loud pictures throughout the twenty-first century. But it was in the 1990s that he got his start, bursting onto the scene with critically acclaimed film roles after appearing in the sketch comedy series In Living Color.
And sure, most of Carrey’s movies throughout this decade are of the comedic variety, but there are nonetheless a couple of dramatic stints thrown into the mix. And for what it’s worth: several of these projects were directed by big-name talents, resulting in some seriously high-quality films (in the list’s upper ranks, at least) that are still talked about today. All that said, this is every Jim Carrey movie of the 1990s, ranked.
10 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Animated facial features and intense vocal intonations can only carry the humor of a film so far. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) is without a doubt the most immature, nonsensical, and irrelevant movie on the list. It’s bound to induce laughter at some point, but that’s entirely due to the absurdity of the events unfolding before the eyes of whichever hapless audience member indulges in this poor excuse of a movie.
The only sequel on the list, there’s no reason to ever watch When Nature Calls in spite of some decent overall name value. Is it the worst film ever made? Not by a long shot, no. Is it the worst film you’ll read about today? Now that’s a different story. No one will dispute its placement at the start of the list.
9 Simon Birch
Based on John Irving’s novel from 1989 called A Prayer for Owen Meany, this entry features a relatively unknown American actor named Ian Michael Smith in the titular role. Both its title and ending were changed at the behest of Irving, but both premises are the same: a twelve-year-old named Joe Wentworth develops a close friendship with a boy named Simon Birch. Another rather small-name actor in Joseph Mazzello plays Joe, while Jim Carrey plays the older counterpart of the character.
He also provides his dulcet, idiosyncratic intonations as the narrator in Simon Birch (1998). But no matter the roles he assumed, not even Carrey’s star power could see success for this film. It came up short both in the minds of critics and at the worldwide box office, and its lackluster dialogue with uninteresting character dynamics render those statistics justified in the end.
8 Batman Forever
Directed by Joel Schumaker, this entry marked the beginning of the end for this era of Batman movies. Sure, Batman and Robin (1997) a couple of years later (also by Schumaker) was truly the worst of the bunch, acting as the nail in the coffin for the caped crusader until Christopher Nolan took over nearly a decade down the line. But Batman Forever (1995) does feature its fair share of qualitative filmmaking elements worth writing home about. At least, to one degree or another.
Carrey appears as Edward Nygma, also known as The Riddler, and that’s the primary focus of quality with regard to Batman Forever: the performances from both Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones. The latter shows up in Batman Forever as Harvey Dent (also known as Two-Face), and the antagonistic tendencies of those two characters and their respective portrayals saved the day in the end. If it weren’t for those two performers, others such as Val Kilmer (as Bats) would have led this film to the darkest depths of Gotham City. Alas, it lands here at number eight.
7 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Without a doubt, this is among the funniest performances of Jim Carrey’s career. It may not be the best outright movie in the oeuvres of anyone involved, but it provides intense laughs from the film’s first frame until its well-timed finale. In his first of three collaborations with Tom Shadyac, actor Jim Carrey shows up in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) as the lead, titular character.
An animal detective, Ace Ventura is tasked at the start of the plot with tracking down the stolen mascot of the Miami Dolphins Football Team — in other words, a real-life aquatic mammal, specifically a bottle-nose dolphin named Snowflake. And the resulting product is a riot through and through, with convincing performances not just from Carrey, but also Courtney Cox and even Dan Marino. If you’re a fan of Jim Carrey movies, it’s essential you check out this stint from the nineties.
6 The Cable Guy
This marks a noticeable step-up in quality on the list, as The Cable Guy (1996) features several elements of filmmaking worth writing home about. Its direction by Ben Stiller, the shocking performance from Carrey, and the film’s off-the-wall plot about an installer of cable boxes who takes a particular interest in one of his customers — all of these qualities and more come together to create a a tangible atmosphere that will hook you from the film’s opening scene.
Carey appears as the titular character, while Matthew Broderick shows up as the protagonist. And the star power by no means ends there. Bar none, this is the most impressive cast on the list: Leslie Mann appears in a supporting role, along with other performers such as Jack Black, Diane Baker, Janeane Garafolo, David Cross, Andy Dick, and Bob Odenkirk. None of these performances were Oscar-worthy, but just as impressive as they should’ve been to warrant this sixth spot on the list for The Cable Guy.
5 Dumb and Dumber
Although this is by no means the wittiest film you’re going to read about today, but it could very well be the funniest. Its plot follows two dim-witted friends who embark on a journey to return a woman’s briefcase, unaware that it was left behind on purpose, as a ransom.
The fact that Jim Carrey plays a titular character (alongside Jeff Daniels) here in Dumb and Dumber (1994) is a funny thought in itself, let alone the dozens of jokes that hit home throughout its hilarious plot. Off a $17 million budget, this entry made a whopping $247.3 million at the worldwide box office, resulting in one of his most financially successful films of the decade. Its name value has only skyrocketed ever since, and justifiably so.
4 Man on the Moon
Right out of the gate, it’s worth noting that the actor at hand received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture thanks to his performance as the late, American entertainer Andy Kaufman. The award was in the Musical or Comedy category, and it was well-earned through and through. In fact, Carrey’s performance drove the quality of Man on the Moon (1999) from its opening frame, with the real-life figure in Kaufman providing the perfect framework as a personality to facilitate high-quality character development.
And none of that is to discredit the direction by Miloš Forman, nor the screenwriting efforts from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. In hindsight, this is a solid stint about Kaufman’s career thanks to everyone involved. It’s just a shame audiences weren’t more intrigued upon release.
3 The Mask
New Line Cinema
A rather unknown director named Chuck Russell helmed this superhero stint, which is in turn based on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name. This feature film is far more favored, though, as it not only boasts Jim Carrey as the titular character, but also Peter Riegert and Cameron Diaz in supporting roles. And they all performed wonderfully.
This tale about a bank clerk who stumbles upon a mask that grants him superpowers is nearly as famous as anything else on the list. It was a massive success in movie theaters, and even garnered a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. And as is evident with this placement on the list, The Mask (1994) still holds up today.
2 Liar Liar
Here, Carrey plays a lawyer named Fletcher Reed, who finds himself under a curse: he’s unable to lie at any given point despite essentially building a career off that very practice. This paves the way for the most tangible character development on the list, and with uproarious dialogue all throughout, Liar Liar (1997) by director Tom Shadyac also succeeds in the overall realm of comedy.
And critics agreed for the most part, as the film boasts an 83% approval rating on critical consensus website Rotten Tomatoes. The film also raked in tremendous money in theaters, and it holds up just wonderfully today. Sure, some fans may dispute this placement, preferring the prior pick in the penultimate spot. But Liar Liar is well-deserving, nonetheless.
1 The Truman Show
Directed by Peter Weir, this entry could very well top the list of best Jim Carrey movies, period. It’s at least his best performance; after all, he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor — Motion Picture Musical or Comedy thanks to his efforts herein. The Truman Show (1998) follows his titular protagonist Truman Burbank who grew up in a society that's in reality a television set. And for those unfamiliar: the show is centered around Truman.
It's an intriguing premise, and everyone involved saw it come into perfect fruition. If it weren’t for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) in the subsequent decade, The Truman Show would still be considered the greatest movie of Carrey’s career. In the eyes of some film fans, it still may be. But either way, there’s no debating its placement with regard to this particular list, as The Truman Show is by far the best Jim Carrey movie of the 1990s.
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