Top 5 Jim Carrey Movies

In a career spanning 20 years one actor has taken physical comedic performance to the next level. That man of course is Jim Carrey, and if you need any proof that Jim is the king of physical comedy we just need to compare his performance in Bruce Almighty with that of Steve Carell’s in Even Almighty – Carell is a great comedic actor, but he isn’t Carrey!

I am firmly in the ‘I love Jim Carrey’ camp, and when people criticise him for being a one trick pony it gets to me, like it would any other Carrey fan. I hope this list of his top 5 films will show his versatility and comedic genius!

5 Ace Ventura – Pet Detective

Cert 12

At 5 it’s the film that started it all off for Carrey, playing the part of bottom talking, rule breaking extravert Ace Ventura, who earns his living as a pet detective. This character is similar to the one Carrey is accused of playing throughout his career but as we go through this list we will see the change in the characters he plays.

IMDB Score - 6.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 47%

4 Me, Myself and Irene

Cert 15

Simply a classic, aimed at a slightly older audience Me, Myself and Irene is about a man who develops a split personality due to having a nervous breakdown. The film has some great gags, as well as the standard great physical comedy (The peeing after sex scene springs to mind). However, unlike his portrayal of Ventura, Carrey’s physical comedy stays in context and his ability to flip between the two characters is a wonder to behold.

IMDB Score - 6.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 60%

3 Dumb and Dumber

Two loveable but very dumb friends embark on a journey to return a case load of cash to a beautiful woman. Carrey plays simple Lloyd Christmas showing that he can drift between daft, witty characters as in Ace Ventura and naive simpletons, whilst still bringing his own brand of comic humour to the role! Carrey’s blank expression throughout is brilliant as he fumbles his way along with a great blend of naivety and bad luck. Does anybody remember the bikini tour bus bit at the end? How much did you want them to get on the bus!

IMDB Score - 7.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 63%

2 The Mask

I remember when this first came out because it was the first time I had seen special effects of that nature. But, it was clear that the film needed an actor with as big a personality as the effects, so up stepped Carrey. Once again in a ‘split personality’ scenario, Stanley Ipkiss, played by Carrey is a bumbling bank clerk who transforms into an extrovert ‘Super Hero’ when putting on a green mask. Simply the range and variety of different impressions, movements and voices needed for the role is impressive in itself and this film made Carrey top dollar talent overnight!

IMDB Score - 6.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 75%

1 The Truman Show

This film, for me is one of the best, most thought-provoking of recent years, Carrey, like many other comedians turned his hand to a serious role, and brilliantly at that! The film’s star is Truman Burbank, a man who is unaware his whole life is actually a reality television show. Carrey performs the role so well and on so many levels it is still hard to believe he received no Oscar nomination - particularly when Ed Harris was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Christoff.

This film is true reflection of his acting range, there is no physical comedy, yet we are fully engaged with his character throughout the entire film. I think it is his best performance because you can’t think of anybody else who could have played the role as well.

IMDB Score 8/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 82%

Matthew Graham is a copy-writer whose client provides Medi spa treatments and spa days in the UK

In a career spanning 20 years one actor has taken physical comedic performance to the next level. That man of course is Jim Carrey, and if you need any proof that Jim is the king of physical comedy we just need to compare his performance in Bruce Almighty with that of Steve Carell’s in Even Almighty – Carell is a great comedic actor, but he isn’t Carrey!

I am firmly in the ‘I love Jim Carrey’ camp, and when people criticise him for being a one trick pony it gets to me, like it would any other Carrey fan. I hope this list of his top 5 films will show his versatility and comedic genius!

5 Ace Ventura – Pet Detective

Cert 12

At 5 it’s the film that started it all off for Carrey, playing the part of bottom talking, rule breaking extravert Ace Ventura, who earns his living as a pet detective. This character is similar to the one Carrey is accused of playing throughout his career but as we go through this list we will see the change in the characters he plays.

IMDB Score - 6.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 47%

4 Me, Myself and Irene

Cert 15

Simply a classic, aimed at a slightly older audience Me, Myself and Irene is about a man who develops a split personality due to having a nervous breakdown. The film has some great gags, as well as the standard great physical comedy (The peeing after sex scene springs to mind). However, unlike his portrayal of Ventura, Carrey’s physical comedy stays in context and his ability to flip between the two characters is a wonder to behold.

IMDB Score - 6.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 60%

3 Dumb and Dumber

Two loveable but very dumb friends embark on a journey to return a case load of cash to a beautiful woman. Carrey plays simple Lloyd Christmas showing that he can drift between daft, witty characters as in Ace Ventura and naive simpletons, whilst still bringing his own brand of comic humour to the role! Carrey’s blank expression throughout is brilliant as he fumbles his way along with a great blend of naivety and bad luck. Does anybody remember the bikini tour bus bit at the end? How much did you want them to get on the bus!

IMDB Score - 7.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 63%

2 The Mask

I remember when this first came out because it was the first time I had seen special effects of that nature. But, it was clear that the film needed an actor with as big a personality as the effects, so up stepped Carrey. Once again in a ‘split personality’ scenario, Stanley Ipkiss, played by Carrey is a bumbling bank clerk who transforms into an extrovert ‘Super Hero’ when putting on a green mask. Simply the range and variety of different impressions, movements and voices needed for the role is impressive in itself and this film made Carrey top dollar talent overnight!

IMDB Score - 6.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 75%

1 The Truman Show

This film, for me is one of the best, most thought-provoking of recent years, Carrey, like many other comedians turned his hand to a serious role, and brilliantly at that! The film’s star is Truman Burbank, a man who is unaware his whole life is actually a reality television show. Carrey performs the role so well and on so many levels it is still hard to believe he received no Oscar nomination - particularly when Ed Harris was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Christoff.

This film is true reflection of his acting range, there is no physical comedy, yet we are fully engaged with his character throughout the entire film. I think it is his best performance because you can’t think of anybody else who could have played the role as well.

IMDB Score 8/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score - 82%

Matthew Graham is a huge Jim Carrey fan and a professional copy-writer whose client provides Medi spa treatments and spa days in the UK. He also enjoys swimming, staying fit and spas.