After more than two decades, the legendary pet detective is back in Ace Ventura 3: Lost in Time, a wild, slapstick-filled revival of the beloved 90s comedy franchise. Helmed by director Jake Kasdan and starring the long-anticipated return of Jim Carrey, the film throws Ace into his most outrageous case yet—one that defies logic, space, and even time.
The story picks up with Ace Ventura living off the grid—retired, eccentric as ever, and raising endangered animals in the jungle. But when a mysterious artifact that controls the fabric of time is stolen from a high-security eco-museum, Ace is dragged back into action. With the help of a nerdy time-travel scientist (played hilariously by Awkwafina), Ace embarks on a chaotic journey through different eras to retrieve lost species and, of course, find the missing artifact.
Jim Carrey slips back into the role effortlessly, reviving his iconic rubber-faced energy and zany one-liners. His physical comedy, complete with exaggerated sound effects and unpredictable movements, remains the soul of the film. Whether he’s confusing cavemen with a dance battle or impersonating Napoleon in 1800s France, Carrey keeps the laughter coming.
The film is loaded with Easter eggs for longtime fans—from callbacks to his dolphin-saving days in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective to his bizarre jungle retreat in When Nature Calls. While the plot is undeniably ridiculous, it fully embraces its absurdity, leaning into the franchise’s chaotic spirit rather than trying to modernize it too much.
Visually, Lost in Time plays like a time-travel cartoon, filled with exaggerated costumes, colorful effects, and increasingly strange historical encounters. Some moments feel like pure parody—think Bill & Ted meets Night at the Museum—but that's part of the charm.
That said, not all jokes land. Some gags feel dated or overly juvenile, and the pacing lags in the middle when the story gets too tangled in time-travel exposition. Yet, for fans of Ace Ventura’s manic energy and slapstick brilliance, these are minor bumps in an otherwise joyful, nostalgia-fueled ride.
Ace Ventura 3: Lost in Time doesn’t aim to reinvent comedy—it just wants to make you laugh, and it mostly succeeds. Fueled by Jim Carrey’s uninhibited performance and a love for its chaotic roots, it’s a fun, goofy adventure that gives the pet detective a fitting, if ridiculous, return.
