Few actors have reached the level of fame and popularity as Jim Carrey. After years of rising in the world of stand-up comedy, Carrey eventually broke into Hollywood and quickly became the biggest star on the planet with his wild-man comedies. Over the years, Carrey continued to deliver the laughs but also showed off his impressive dramatic skills as well.
Carrey's phenomenal career includes some of the most popular and acclaimed films of all time. However, they are not all winners. Taking a look at Carrey's IMDb page, he has a few misses to go along with all the hits.
Best: The Mask (1994) - 6.9
While Carrey's manic and over-the-top persona might feel out of place in some movies, The Mask proved to be the perfect vehicle for him. Carrey plays a mild-mannered and disrespected guy who finds a magical mask that transforms him into a wild, green-faced madman.
Carrey gives a tour-de-force comedic performance that allows him to sing, dance, and make all kinds of funny faces. The action-adventure is like a cartoon come to life, and it's every bit as fun as it sounds.
Worst: Once Bitten (1985) - 5.5
Carrey got his first starring role as a young comedian in the horror-comedy Once Bitten. When a vampire countess needs human blood, she finds the perfect target in Mark (Carrey). After their encounter, he deals with his changing lifestyle as a vampire.
What could have been a great early opportunity for Carrey turns out to be one of his more forgettable films. He does what he can to bring some life to the movie, but the unfunny script really lets him down.
Best: Dumb and Dumber (1994) - 7.3
Few actors can keep up with Carrey when he's on a roll, but Jeff Daniels was the unexpectedly perfect partner for the buddy comedy Dumb and Dumber. The two stars play dim-witted best friends who embark on a road trip to return a piece of lost luggage.
Both actors fully embrace the absolute stupidity of these characters. Their hijinks keep getting crazier as the film goes on and there are so many gags and one-liners that will have you laughing long after the credits have rolled.
Worst: Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) - 5.4
If there is an actor who was born to plan a being from another planet, it has to be Jim Carrey. In Earth Girls Are Easy, he stars alongside Jeff Goldblum and Damon Wayans as aliens who crash-land in California and get introduced to the world via a friendly valley girl.
There are some funny moments in the film thanks to the talented and funny cast. However, the fish-out-of-water routine only lasts so long before it becomes clear that the movie doesn't have a lot of ideas.
Best: Man on the Moon (1999) - 7.4
Carrey is known as an eccentric funny man, which might be how he portrayed another off-the-wall performer like Andy Kaufman so effectively. The film followed Kaufman's gradual rise to fame as a comedian who kept pushing the envelope with bizarre and experimental comedy.
Carrey embodies Kaufman so convincingly and seeing some of Kaufman's most famous antics recreated by him is a thrill. There is even a fascinating documentary called Jim and Andy which explores just how deep Carrey got into the role.
Worst: Batman Forever (1995) - 5.4
After Tim Burton stepped away from the Batman franchise, Joel Schumacher decided to bring some camp and comedy to Batman Forever. This time around Val Kilmer plays Batman, who must take on Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Carrey).
Despite being a big hit, many fans thought that this was the wrong direction to take the franchise in. The audience was also divided on Carrey's performance, which some say saved the movie while others felt it was an obnoxious distraction.
Best: The Truman Show (1998) - 8.1
Though his comedic skills were highly praised, The Truman Show allowed Carrey the opportunity to show off his dramatic abilities as well. Carrey plays a man living a seemingly idyllic life, unaware that it is all fake and he has been the subject of a television show his whole life.
There is a lot of humor in watching this man slowly begin to realize something is wrong with the world around him. However, Carrey also plays things very straight and brings a lot of genuine emotion to the story.
Worst: The Bad Batch (2016) - 5.3
Carrey has been taking smaller roles in smaller movies more recently, including a tiny supporting role in the surreal film The Bad Batch. It is set in a dystopian future in which a young woman is wandering the post-apocalyptic wasteland where she confronts a band of cannibals.
Carrey is almost unrecognizable as a desert hermit whom the girl encounters. Despite some other fun cameos, the movie proved to be too weird so most viewers.
Best: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 8.3
In another of Carrey's more dramatic roles, he stars alongside Kate Winslet in this mind-bending romantic drama. After suffering a painful breakup, Joel (Carrey) undergoes a new medical procedure that will erase all memories of his former girlfriend (Winslet).
The movie is a brilliantly crafted and inventively directed adventure. Carrey plays a great sad sack and it's so much fun to watch as the story's pieces gradually begin to fall into place in a truly engrossing way.
Worst: True Crimes (2016) - 4.8
As can be seen with some of his more popular films, when Carrey tries something new, the results can be great. However, seeing him in a dark crime genre apparently was a step too far for some viewers.
In True Crimes, Carrey plays a detective investigating a murder that has striking similarities to a book written by a crime novelist. Carrey's dour and reserved performance is interesting, but the story and the mystery are too dull to keep the audience's attention.