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Is the reveal in Ace Ventura the worst executed twist in a movie?

Rest

All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
I saw Ace Ventura for the first time in a long time recently. The "big reveal" never made sense to me. The dog lays on the picture, he sees the long hair, connects the dots and realizes that the man he's looking for is now a woman.

But, the way it was done, it doesn't look like a woman. Or, even the woman playing the villain. Now, many years later in the age of badly done photoshops, I can tell that the picture of the football player is a heavily edited picture of Sean Young, but the truth is it was too well done. Whoever made the edited photo did it so well that it looks like a man, and has only the vaguest resemblance to Young. As a kid, I would watch this scene, be confused about what character it was supposed to be, and just watch the end of the movie and think "what is going on right now?" It just seemed like a random jump, and the end of the movie was just sort of nonsense. Without years of context to be able to recognize the hallmarks of an edited photo, that scene came out of nowhere and didn't justify anything that happened afterward.

Is there a worse "big reveal" in a movie or other media?
 
that the picture of Finkle doesn't look like Sean Young is part of the joke, but the reveal is a very on-the-nose parody of a film called The Crying Game

I don't think anyone has watched The Crying Game since 1992, and kids that watched Ace Ventura certainly wouldn't have unless they had those weird cinephile parents
 

Rest

All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
that the picture of Finkle doesn't look like Sean Young is part of the joke, but the reveal is a very on-the-nose parody of a film called The Crying Game

I don't think anyone has watched The Crying Game since 1992, and kids that watched Ace Ventura certainly wouldn't have unless they had those weird cinephile parents
Ah. I've never seen The Crying Game. I did see Stargate though, and to this day that dude looks so much like a woman that I have a hard believing he's a man.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
that the picture of Finkle doesn't look like Sean Young is part of the joke, but the reveal is a very on-the-nose parody of a film called The Crying Game

I don't think anyone has watched The Crying Game since 1992, and kids that watched Ace Ventura certainly wouldn't have unless they had those weird cinephile parents

Yeah I feel lots of people missed the context with that. My memory of both films is hazy but didnt they even include the song over the reveal? Or did I just invent that?

It was just riding the controversy really
 

Kev Kev

Member
Sixth Sense stands out.
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Star-Lord

Member
I'm confused.

Why was sixth sense twist bad? I thought it was great.
It’s a good twist that would’ve been better had the clues not been too obvious. Maybe my recollection has been tarred by years of ‘knowing’ the end and reading theories online, or maybe it’s just because I haven’t seen it years, but I swear the twist was obvious.
 

AmuroChan

Member
Ace Ventura is a slapstick comedy. The tone of the movie is complete ridiculousness, and the twist fits that tone perfectly.

As for actual bad twists in movies:

1. Dark Knight Rises - Blake is Robin. A completely unnecessary reveal IMO. Felt like something that was forcefully shoehorned in for no reason. The whole point of the trilogy was that Batman is just symbol. So Blake, even if was just a regular guy, would've been a perfectly suitable candidate to take up Batman's mantle. They didn't need to make him into Robin.

2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Rey Skywalker. When the old lad said, "Rey who?". Did any person expect her to say anything but Rey Skywalker? The reveal was so poorly executed to the point that it just sounded cheesy.

3. Mother! - The whole movie was one bad twist.

4. Serenity (2019) - It's just a video game. Not much more to say. Once the twist is revealed, you're better off just shutting the movie off.
 
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KrakenIPA

Member
Ace Ventura is a slapstick comedy. The tone of the movie is complete ridiculousness, and the twist fits that tone perfectly.

As for actual bad twists in movies:

1. Dark Knight Rises - Gordon is Robin. A completely unnecessary reveal IMO. Felt like something that was forcefully shoehorned in for no reason. The whole point of the trilogy was that Batman is just symbol. So Gordon, even if was just a regular guy, would've been a perfectly suitable candidate to take up Batman's mantle. They didn't need to make him into Robin.

2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Rey Skywalker. When the old lad said, "Rey who?". Did any person expect her to say anything but Rey Skywalker? The reveal was so poorly executed to the point that it just sounded cheesy.

3. Mother! - The whole movie was one bad twist.

4. Serenity (2019) - It's just a video game. Not much more to say. Once the twist is revealed, you're better off just shutting the movie off.
oh-really-seriously.gif


I 100% agree!!!
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
You pick up on a few moments on your first viewing and slot them into place, and on your second viewing it’s all so blatantly obvious. Again, great film.
That’s the whole point, and what makes it a great twist. He even pounds you over the head with it on the reveal, cutting together various scenes that totally made sense even knowing that he’s actually not present in the scene.

It’s a fantastic twist, and it’s delivered even better.

You’re wrong and should feel bad.

😉
 
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Star-Lord

Member
That’s the whole point, and what makes it a great twist. He even pounds you over the head with it on the reveal, cutting together various scenes that totally made sense even knowing that he’s actually not present in the scene.

It’s a fantastic twist, and it’s delivered even better.

You’re wrong and should feel bad.
Am I really the only one who felt it was somewhat of a cheap twist? I feel like I should retract my answer and crawl back under the uncultured rock I came from.
 

Doom85

Member
Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. Makes zero sense, how is Thade in the far past on Earth? No one was on his side anymore and he was stuck in his prison. And he took a while to figure out how to shoot a gun, no way he’s flying a ship and furthermore the only two ships remaining on the planet are completely wrecked. One big middle finger of an already weak movie whose only good element was the ape makeup which was admittedly great. Thank god for the modern trilogy restoring the franchise’s good name.

Edit: oh, and Tim Burton even admitted it made no sense when Helena Bonham Carter pointed it out. At least he’s honest about his bullshit, I guess.
 
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Tschumi

Member
Shit man it's a film it had a twist it worked for millions i never thought twice about it, end of.

bad twists... i haven't got an answer for u, but i have been able to predict the final plot of almost every film i've watched since 2010 based on what was fed us in the opening half hour to hour
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
Even though I read the book before seeing the film, Fincher telegraphs the big reveal of Fight Club a little too heavily. I'd say it's about 50/50 people I know who guessed it prior to the scene.
 

Nico_D

Member
It’s a good twist that would’ve been better had the clues not been too obvious. Maybe my recollection has been tarred by years of ‘knowing’ the end and reading theories online, or maybe it’s just because I haven’t seen it years, but I swear the twist was obvious.

I think the twist is pretty clever back then. After that there's been a lot of storytelling that had had similar twists and we know better to anticipate those. The Sixth Sense was excellent and I didn't see it coming. I rewatched it two years ago and it still hold up really well even knowing the twist, it's interesting to see the clues - which are pretty well placed without being too obvious, like the dinner with the wife.
 

Keihart

Member
3. Mother! - The whole movie was one bad twist.

I'm gonna assume you are talking about the american film? there are 3 movies with the same title, a Korean, a Japanese and an American one, no relation between them.
The Korean one is amazing.
The Japanese one is tragic and based on a true story, too real.
The American one...meh.

Nvm, didn't notice the exclamation at the end before.

On topic, can't remember bad twists or bad movies overall.
But good twists? I think my favorite one is Oldboy.
I really like The Visit's twist too, i know the movie doesn't have a good critical reception because of the cringy kid, but let's be honest, kids are gringe.
 
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GymWolf

Member
You mean one of the most hilarious twist and conseguent reaction in cinema history?! No i think it's fine...
 
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