8 Terrible Comic Book Movie Performances By Great Actors
2. Jim Carey As The Riddler/Dr. Edward Nygma - Batman Forever (1995)
Again, you might need some convincing that Jim Carey is a Great Actor, but, when the role is right, he truly is (or at least can be). Look at his work in Milos Formans Man On The Moon, a sublime tragi-comic turn which shouldve landed him an Oscar nomination, or The Truman Show a year earlier, or Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind six after that. All great performances. Then look at his early career, and his triumvirate of classic comedy performances in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Liar Liar. In between those three is one of his very worst roles though, both in comic book terms and personal ones, and while its not quite as bad as anything in the Batman film that succeeds it, Batman Forever nevertheless gifted the comic book world Careys unbearable, annoying, tedious performance as The Riddler/Dr. Edward Nygma (E. Nygma, get it?). Playing off all the worst Jim Carey tropes, Jim Carey out Jim Careys himself here, giving us a gurning, dancing mess of character, one clearly meant to be over the top but gnawing that liberty to the hilt. Next to the aforementioned Tommy Lee Jones Two-Face, its too damn much.
