Jim Carrey has some concerns over the new, scary Riddler
"There’s a spot of worry in me about gaffer-taping and encouraging people to do the same," says the actor
Aux News Riddler
Jim Carrey has been doing press for Sonic The Hedgehog 2 lately, the movie that he recently claimed will likely be his last. But people don’t really want to hear about what it was like to play the Sonic villain, Robotnik. They want to hear Carrey’s takes on the new version of the actor’s most popular villain: The Riddler.
In a press junket, Carrey sat down with UNILAD and was asked if he had any thoughts on Paul Dano’s version of The Riddler in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Carrey admits he hasn’t seen it, but calls it a “very dark version.” He adds, “I have mixed emotions about it. To each his own, I love [Paul Dano] as an actor, he’s a tremendous actor. I do worry—there’s a spot of worry in me about gaffer-taping and encouraging people to do the same, you know?” [There are] some sickos out there that might adopt that method.”
He continues, “I do have a conscience about the things that I choose and Robotnik has cartoon bombs and no one gets hurt, so I know there’s a place for it and I don’t want to criticize it. But it’s not my kind of thing. It’s well done, it’s very well done, those movies are very well done.”
While Dano’s Riddler opts for a combat mask and army jacket, hiding his face completely and being devoid of any Riddler-isms, Carrey’s Riddler was flamboyant, with an outfit that seems like it belongs on a kid taking jazzercize classes. How can you feel seriously threatened by a guy who looks like David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust era?
In a recent profile with The Hollywood Reporter, it’s noted that Dano is actually a big fan of Carrey’s Riddler, so while Carrey is hesitant to embrace the new, dark version, at least he can know that Dano still recognizes Carrey’s version of the villain as one of the best.
95 Comments
That’s just… noise
LMAO. As someone who grew up at the height of Jim Carrey’s films where he would use tree branches to lift women’s skirts, would lay on the floor and slide between a standing women’s legs, etc. he should be looking to his own films about how they negatively influenced teenage boys to act towards me and other young girls versus worrying about a superhero movie. To this day “all righty then!” makes me cringe and not because it’s just stupid.
oh yeah, imitating jim carrey was an actual insane epidemic in those years. worse than the borat years.
I was briefly hospitalized due to a friend attempting to say “Smokin’”
It’s no laughing matter.
Wait, those were actual things? Glad I was outta high school by that point.
Boys use to smack our butts and when we said stop they would say “all righty then” exactly like he does in Pet Detective.
Does Ace smack women’s butts and say alrighty then in the movies?
I don’t doubt that toecheese4life had a bad experience with boys at some point, but this is the first I’ve heard of Ace Ventura inspiring bad behavior towards boys and her subsequent description sounds like typical boy behavior (which is BAD to be clear) followed by the lousy impression of the day. A few years later and it would have been idiots saying “Oh behave!” It doesn’t sound like there was any sort of epidemic driven by the Ace Ventura movies, besides bad impressions that grated on the ears.
And just as I had actually forgotten about that, here i am reminded of it all over again by you lot. Thanks! I hate it!
He very famously looked at his own work and said he can’t support it when he was moved by what happened at Sandy Hook.
He famously did that for one film.
Two films – Ace Ventura, Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Two-and-a-half if you count him as The Mask in The Mask.Those are also his most successful films by a long chalk, so those are the ones most people remember.
All he said is that he would not do those anti-LGBTQ jokes today and that movie would be written differently in today’s times…which…duh.
Yeah — I really liked the scene where he’s plungering his face because there are times when I feel like doing that……Until I remember why he was doing it! Then I feel deeply ashamed.
Debatable, Dumb and Dumber I think is huger and had a bigger impact than Ace Ventura.
That is genuinely frightening, BigAl6ft6.
He has at least five movies that were more successful. His highest grossing…Dumb And Dumber (1994): $247 million. …The Truman Show (1998): $264 million. …Liar Liar (1997): $303 million. …Batman Forever (1995): $337 million. …How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): $345 million
Yeah, but How the Grinch Stole Christmas was an abomination by every measurable standard, and Batman Forever only succeeded on the strength of Burton’s previous two BATMAN movies.
Carrey had a potentially-great take on The Riddler, but Joel Schumacher was never going to be the director to make him to back off enough on the schtick for it to blossom. It got so bad even Tommy Lee Jones, who hated Carrey’s showboating, started doing it himself because he thought that was what Schumacher wanted….Never saw Liar Liar, will never see Dumb and Dumber — and am genuinely surprised and pleased that The Truman Show did so well.
The fact that you claim that you will “never” see “Dumb and Dumber” proves that you cannot be trusted as a human being.
Weighing in on Sandy Hook here. I don’t think it should be legal to purchase firearms. Come at me.
Sounds like the boys around you were morons.
OK, movie makers: new rule. Run all scripts past toecheese before you do anything.
Yes please. I would very much appreciate that.
Someone posted this in another article and it’s really gross. Poor Alicia.
Carrey has been expressing this weird view that movies make people do things for a while now and it’s baffling. I know he started to disavow Kick Ass 2 after he filmed it, saying he couldn’t condone any movie where people use guns or something.It’s movies dude. Movies.
reminds me of the part of one of obama’s books where he gets worried about isis seeing ‘the dark knight’ and getting jokerfied.
lol jesus, his books must be terrible.
People being inspired by this Riddler can only be a good thing.
I remember when the Joker was going to inspire so many copycat murders and the press was wringing its hands. It never happened. The same with Grand Theft Auto 3 and a million other things. So can we stop with this crap already? Art doesn’t inspired people to do bad things and, even if it did, we shouldn’t have to censor ourselves to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
The Aurora, CO massacre notwithstanding of course.
A good example of people jumping to an “obvious” conclusion that didn’t hold up to scrutiny.
I was far more concerned with how it portrayed mental illness of a certain type. Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’, in the worst case scenario, most likely would’ve committed suicide than go on a revenge killing spree.
That and the fact they committed an entire movie to a Joker origin story, whether it’s part of any existing DCCU or not. A big part of the character’s appeal and mystique is that he has no roots or motive and it’s that unpredictability that makes him such a dangerous threat for Batman and Gotham.Burton may have taken a somewhat lazy and generic approach to the Joker’s origin, dropping Jack Napier in a vat of toxic chemicals but it didn’t spend any time getting there and once he revealed his gruesome grin, it was Joker all the way. Nolan’s Joker, however, understood the character best, imo.
most likely would’ve committed suicide than go on a revenge killing spree.He did when he climbed in that fridge though.
Ledger’s Joker was a super creepy take on the character, much more an agent of chaos than the villain from the comics I was used to while growing up. The way he would tell different stories at different times of his background says he doesn’t really have one – or perhaps even a personality as such. You might see the man as little more than an empty shell, and all he is is a made-up story, one out of many such stories.That was cool. I liked that about the movie.
Let’s call Joker what it is: a mash-up of Taxi Driver and King of Comedy but it’s The Joker. The comic book angle is just window dressing.
RE: Joker’s appeal/being mysterious, I certainly prefer it that way, but when I was a kid, it wasn’t just the Burton film; the comics, the animated series, the back of action figure boxes all acknowledged that Joker was a two-bit hood that fell into a vat of chemicals while fighting Batman. And his motives were often to do whatever makes himself laugh. I love Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger’s interpretation. It’s God tier for me. But I’ve seen a bunch of people seemingly rewrite history to elevate that specific version of the Joker as a way to criticize the movie Joker. And now that there’s a new Joker from Matt Reeves and Barry Keoghan, Reeves is openly detailing that version’s origin in interviews, but I’m not seeing anyone complain that it ruins his “appeal.”The Joker movie seemingly giving Joker an origin doesn’t ruin that for me either. For one thing, I still prefer to read Joaquin’s Joker as a movie about some weird proto-Joker. The disparity in age between him and Bruce Wayne is too large to credibly buy him as THE Joker that Batman will one day go on to fight. But even if we’re supposed to believe Arthur Fleck is THE Joker, it’s still really easy to read the movie as just one of the multiple choice answers Joker gives for his past.
I hated all the press around Joker making it sound like another shooting was a foregone conclusion. They had a security guard when I went to see it. Of course nothing happened but I really didn’t appreciate the heightened paranoia all the media outlets hyped for that.During the scene where he’s doing his clown schtick at a children’s hospital and his gun goes flying out of his clown pants and skitters across the floor (and he tries to play it off but so fucked because everyone saw it), I just barked out a laugh at the only bit of levity. No one else made a peep from start to finish.
Well, there was the Dark Knight shooter. Based on the previous cinematic Joker, but it did actually happen. Not saying we should be policing movies, but unhinged lunatics being inspired by pop culture certainly has happened and arguably will continue to do so.
He was dressed in black, wore a gas mask, and had orange hair. Calling it “based on […] the Joker” is a stretch.
Thank you. It is so frustrating seeing people repeat this myth so many years later.
There was no “Dark Knight shooter” who was “based on the Joker”. James Holmes never references any connection to a movie, and was not dressed up like Joker. He just had red dyed hair and the media and internet ran with the stupid “he was inspired by the Joker” narrative. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/10/joker-aurora-shooting-rumor
Thanks for that link.
Jim Carrey held a press conference recently to claim he is still relevant.
This dude is insufferable
He’s really on an attention-seeking tear isn’t he?
He was being interviewed and they asked him a question, it’s not like he’s on a Twitter crusade or something.
He’s literally on a press tour for his new movie. Hence the recent interviews.
He has a movie to promote.
What does he have something to promote or something?
And? He’s promoting a movie so I have to like what he says?
No, but you don’t have to be a baby about it.
It’s a good thing he didn’t see the scene where the Riddler gets vaccinated.
Bingo. If he wants to counter-act some harm caused, he can start with the vaccination stance. The change won’t bring back the kids dead from measles, but it will help prevent more death and disability from preventable disease.Yep, measles can kill in addition to making someone deaf.
Carrey may not have seen the movie, but he’s unknowingly on the same page with the filmmakers about the logical conclusion of where a Riddler like that goes.
Why is anyone still sanctioning this cunt’s buffoonery?
“There’s a spot of worry in me about getting your child vaccinated and encouraging people to do the same,” says the actor
Didn’t this dipshit play a vigilante in Kick Ass 2? Did people start going out and beating up criminals with baseball bats? Did it become a problem? I liked Jim when he was taking down Trump but this thing about the riddler screams “look at me please!”
God those “political drawings” were so hideously fucking bad tho. It was painful watching people pretend that stuff was good.
Jim Carrey the painter is about as good as George Dubya the painter.Actually, Dubya might actually beat him there. *shrug*
He also publicly disavowed the movie and refuse to do press for it. Which I found a bit hypocritical seeing he had read the damn script.That said, I keep seeing comments, like yours, that imply Carrey is just out there throwing these takes around on twitter or something. He’s not. He is on a contractually required press tour for his new movie, which is the only reason we’re hearing from Carrey right now, and an interviewer asked him a question because he played Riddler in the past. Don’t like his answer? Completely understandable. But the dude has no choice but to answer the question.
In total fairness, he (and many other celebs, to be completely fair) could just do the Daniel Radcliffe thing of saying “Look, I don’t think my opinion on that really matters.”
1) Daniel Radcliffe’s response has in and of itself become a response that got written up and hyperlinked as if it were a response of substance. My point being, literally no matter what they say, media outlets will milk it, reblog it, and reference it for all eternity.2) Anyone could say that about anything they get asked that doesn’t directly involve them. I think the celebs who are responding are just trying to make their canned interviews interesting.
1. Sure, the media’s gonna media either way, but the response I was replying to was suggesting that celebrities being interviewed have no choice but to hurl their opinions on any given subject or event into the ether anytime someone sticks a microphone in front of them. As Radcliffe demonstrates, they can in fact just choose to demur. It’s not like it’s a fundamental law of the universe that a celebrity has to weigh in on any given topic just because they’re asked about it, much as we might act like it is. 2. That’s kind of my point; just because someone, famous or not, is asked to or has the opportunity to comment doesn’t necessarily mean they have to (and frankly, I think we’d all be in a much better place generally speaking if people did stop to consider just how worthwhile their offering an opinion on any given subject is a bit more frequently — myself included). Fair point, if celebrities want to weigh in when someone asks them, there’s nothing stopping them — my point is just that they and we don’t have to act like they’re compelled to offer their opinions or anything. They can choose to just go “Nah, I got nothing to say on that one, next question.”
I get what you’re saying. But I read the comment you were replying to as a defense of why he gave an opinion at all. That is, a lot of times people’s gut reaction when they see an article like this is, “Well, who asked them?” And in this case, someone literally asked him. But you’re right. He (or any celebrity) could say, “I have nothing to say” or “my opinion on this doesn’t matter.” I just wish people didn’t pretend like celebrities aren’t human beings that have opinions on things that don’t concern them – just like the rest of us.Maybe the world would be a better place if we kept our opinions to ourselves. I think it’s just human nature for most people.
In total fairness, he’s free to speak his mind and you’re free to not read it or respond to it.
He asked him his opinion on the character, he didn’t say “so do you think this is going to lead to copy cats, killing people?”He could have just said “it’s really dark and not for me”.
He has a movie to promote.
His last one?
I just don’t understand his logic that people may see The Batman and suddenly decide that tying people up with duct tape is cool…like…it’s never been thought of before until now? Unlike his character in Sonic the Hedghehog 2 which he throws imaginary bombs and no one gets hurt, which is somehow a far more socially acceptable message to send to young people?I never played much of the Sonic games, so I have no idea what planet Doctor Eggman aka Doctor Robotnik is from. Same with Jim Carrey right about now.
Well, he was responding directly to a question he was asked in an interview, so….
Did he mean his last Sonic the Hedgehog movie, or his last movie? Because if it’s the latter, may we get it in writing please?
I think they kill off Dr. Eggman in the sequel. Sorry if I spoiled it.
Googoogajoob.
Actually back in the day, a number of people were threatened by Ziggy-era Bowie.
Care for a spot ‘a worry there, guv?
Eh, if I had to complain anything about Riddler in The Batman was Dano was kinda annoying but they literally didn’t even bother to try to change his apartment notebooks from John Doe in Seven.
How can you feel seriously threatened by a guy who looks like David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust era? Maybe because Ziggy Stardust was always at least vaguely unsettling and you’re a reasonable goddamn human?
Carey seems very concerned and emotional lately.
The Riddler should have said “Somebody stop meeeee!” after gaffer taping people. Then the audience would know it is wrong.
The anti-vaxxer has some concerns about gaffer tape everyone.
I do worry—there’s a spot of worry in me about gaffer-taping and encouraging people to do the same, you know?
As long as it’s safe and consensual who gives a shit what people do with gaffer tape?
no no no,…… rich corrupt scum need serious torment
So Jim Carrey is espousing the old Tipper Gore “what if people copy what movies do” mentality? Can we not do this again?
What’s to say kids see (now) wholesome funnyman Jim Carrey in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and start throwing “imaginary” bomb shaped objects at their younger siblings running like Sonic? Jim, if you’re going to play 90’s Morality Police maybe you should have thought of that before you made two movies where you talk from your own ass.
How is that “immoral”, exactly?
It’s not, but it’s hard to put on an air that your shit doesn’t stink when you’re best remembered for the movies where you placed both hands on your buttcheeks, moving them rapidly together and apart as if they were talking. Just sayin.
Why does him being an gifted physical comedian hurt his credibility?
There was no consent from his ass.
Why don’t they combine the Joker/Riddler?
Clue Clown!
“He was always WRONG!”
Boggles you fiend, what does it mean!?
They both have their virtues, but let’s not kid ourselves: everyone can get in line behind Frank Gorshin.
I wasn’t fond of Carrey’s portrayal of the Riddler, it might as well have been Ace Ventura. Too bad the director didn’t have the balls to tone down his performance. That being said, I have no love of the revealed dweeby Riddler in the current film.
He continues, “I do have a conscience about the things that I choose and Robotnik has cartoon bombs and no one gets hurt, so I know there’s a place for it and I don’t want to criticize it. But it’s not my kind of thing. It’s well done, it’s very well done, those movies are very well done.” …this guy realizes that The Batman was also make believe and no one got hurt, right? What the absolute fuck is Jim Carrey on about now?
At least Carrey’s Riddler is a laugh. The Batman is a joyless slog.