‘Cable Guy’ Gives Carrey Chance To Stretch Talent, But It Disappoints

Every performing artist known for a personal style eventually reaches a point where his or her act wears thin.

This is particularly true of comics. Nothing plays more poorly than done-to-death jokes.

Is Jon Lovitz still doing his pathological liar routine? Does Eddie Murphy still depend on Buckwheat or Gumby to make his mortgage payments? Hasn’t Roseanne long given up doing her housewife-from-hell stand-up act?

Even Charlie Chaplin’s movies ultimately lost their appeal to his original generation of fans.

So why should we be surprised that such a talented funnyman as Jim Carrey would try to evolve out of his “Ace Ventura” closet? The movies on which Carrey built his reputation - the two “Ace Ventura” films, “The Mask” and “Dumb and Dumber” - are all of a type.

And clearly he wanted more.

For then there came “The Cable Guy.” And comparing any of his previous films to this one is a bit of a stretch.

Yes, the basic humor of the film, which is available this week on video, still depends on Carrey’s trademark mugging. But, for the first time, Carrey has let his dark side show more clearly.

As directed by Ben Stiller, no slouch as a source of comedy himself, “Cable Guy” is a variation on the “Fatal Attraction” theme. It involves a mousy guy named Steven (Matthew Broderick) who, while on the outs with his girlfriend (Leslie Mann), finds himself the object of a cable-television installer’s affections.

This so-called Cable Guy (Carrey) establishes himself from the very beginning as strange to the extreme. Anyone, even timid Steven, wouldn’t help but hear the emotional sirens that signal trouble.

But Steven, always prey to the manipulations of those around him, finds himself unable to break away cleanly. After all, the man has agreed to give him free cable service.

And it doesn’t stop there. Cable Guy, who employs at least a couple of aliases, gives Steven a whole new sound system. He treats him to a bizarre night out at a medieval-themed restaurant. He holds a party for him (a party at which Cable Guy does an eerily funny version of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”). He professes to want only friendship in return.

Yet Steven, with good reason, begins to wonder. As he attempts to reconcile with his girlfriend, Cable Guy offers advice. When the reconciliation occurs, Cable Guy takes credit. And when Steven says he’s had enough, Cable Guy turns psycho - and Steven learns just how badly his new friend reacts to rejection.

The theme to “Cable Guy” is familiar. Besides “Fatal Attraction,” it smacks of any number of other psycho-in-love studies: “Play Misty For Me,” “Single White Female,” “Mother’s Boys” and, most recently, “Fear” among them. The plot is formula, plain and simple.

It’s the tone that is different. Not completely a comedy yet nowhere nearly a drama, “Cable Guy” depends on the comic timing of Broderick, the comic vision of director Stiller (who offers a subplot about a media-savvy murderer that may be the movie’s funniest part) and the comic stylings of Carrey.

Even with all this talent at its disposal, though, the film doesn’t quite succeed. Carrey’s Cable Guy character ends up being only an exaggeration of, say, Ace Ventura (and only a slight exaggeration at that) with homo-erotic insinuations.

Compared to Cable Guy, in fact, Carrey’s “Mask” character is dark comedy incarnate.

Which is where Carrey and Stiller, along with screenwriter Lou Holtz Jr., missed their chance. “Cable Guy” would have benefitted from its makers, pushing the envelope of comedy to an even blacker level. To a level occupied regularly by someone such as Tim Burton (wait until you see “Mars Attacks!”) or even David Lynch.

Since the film is just a variation on an existing form, why not extend the parody to include that form? Give us something other than a warmed-over ending that attempt to have it both ways - giving the psycho his come-uppance while saving the Cable Guy character for a possible sequel.

In “Cable Guy,” Carrey tries to imbue his stereotypical character with a rawer edge, but he ends up compromising his vision. It’s hardly surprising that this should be the case, since he’s now commanding up to $20 million per picture.

After all, it’s hard to break new comedic ground and be lovable at the same time. Rated PG-13 **-1/2

Schedule change

The companies that release films on video occasionally play the scheduling game. Originally, Buena Vista had planned to release “The Crow 2: City of Angels” last Tuesday. This would have put it it competition with “The Cable Guy.”

Instead, the company changed its mind. “The Crow 2,” in which French movie star Vincent Perez takes over the role created by the late Brandon Lee, will come out next Tuesday.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo