Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Gave Jim Carrey A Great Ace Ventura Callback
Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Pantera scene references not only Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, but also Doctor Eggman actor Jim Carrey’s real life.
Comedian Jim Carrey plays the villainous Doctor Eggman in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and the film actually contains a secret callback to one of the actor’s earliest films, Ace Venutra: Pet Detective. While Jim Carrey’s most prominent modern roles have featured him fighting the speedy blue hedgehog, he also got his start in a movie that prominently features animals, although Ace Ventura was far less antagonistic towards them. While the two movies are meant for different audiences, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 features a subtle nod to the actor’s legacy in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective that many may have missed.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sees the return of Jim Carrey’s Doctor Eggman, returning to Earth after escaping the alien planet he was trapped on in the first movie. Aided by Knuckles the Echidna, Doctor Eggman makes it his one goal to find the powerful Master Emerald. Eggman eventually locates the artifact, with the scene in which he shows off all his new powers being the one that references Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Sonic The Hedgehog’s Pantera Scene Has An Ace Ventura Connection
In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the scene in which Eggman pilots his Death Egg is accompanied by Eggman’s playlist. Eggman turns on the heavy metal song “Walk” by Pantera before using his newfound Master Emerald powers to rock out. While its subtle, Doctor Eggman’s fondness for heavy metal is actually a reference to the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, as well as to Jim Carrey’s real life.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective features a scene in which the titular Jim Carrey character briefly attends a heavy metal concert, with the hilariously out-of-place pet detective attempting to find out information from the attendees. Although Cannibal Corpse is the band in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and not Pantera, the fact that both films contain Jim Carrey rocking out to heavy metal music is a funny connection. The tone of both films sets up a major juxtaposition with the heavy metal music, meaning that the Pantera scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is no coincidence.
Heavy metal isn’t just a favorite of Doctor Eggman and Ace Ventura, though. Jim Carrey is a huge metalhead in real life, explaining why the music makes its way into so many of Jim Carrey’s popular movies. Having Eggman enjoy metal shows that Jim Carrey has a close connection with the character, explaining why the comedian has played the villain in both films. In fact, Jim Carrey has even said that he was initially attracted to the role because he related to Doctor Eggman, with the heavy metal just making this connection stronger. While Sonic the Hedgehog 2 references Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, it also references Jim Carrey’s real-life musical preference.
