Review of The Mask (1994) by Gabbo P — 15 Dec 2015

Information on the film: Jim Carrey was at the height of his popularity in 1994. After Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and before Dumb & Dumber, he starred in The Mask, an adaptation of a comic book by Dark Horse Comics. The original source material was much darker, and had the title character murder his victims in over-the-top fashion. The original intent for the movie was to be more in line with said comic, which was similar to what New Line Cinema previously embraced with the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but due to the crew being dissatisfied with each of the drafts that followed this approach, director Chuck Russell (who had previously directed A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors), and screenwriter Mike Werb decided it would be better if the film was a light-hearted cartoonish comedy influenced by the likes of Tex Avery, and the Looney Tunes, which is what became the movie we ended up getting. The Mask proved very successful at the box office, and further cemented Jim Carrey's status as a huge comedic actor.

Plot: Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a shy bank clerk down on his luck. He finds an ancient mask, puts it on, and becomes a cartoony superhero known as The Mask.

My thoughts: Jim Carrey was an actor/comedian who I grew up with, and this film was basically my introduction to him (along with Ace Ventura). Looking back, I feel the film is still a lot of fun. The concept of the film is very interesting as it deals with an average person embracing his inner desires upon becoming The Mask.

Carrey plays both sides of the main character very well; the nice everyman that Stanley is, and the wild jokester that is The Mask, who can only be present during the night. The supporting cast do nicely for what they are given, you have Cameron Diaz (in her debut role) playing the love interest Tina Carlyle, who is extremely beautiful, and has a presence to her.

This movie was also groundbreaking in terms of special FX as it combined CGI with the cartoonish antics of Jim Carrey as The Mask. The special FX are amazing, and work within the nature of the film. As for the humor, there are numerous of homages to Tex Avery, and the Looney Tunes (as mentioned before), and they work perfectly, I also think the gags get better with time and understanding.

Aside from the state of the art FX, the production design and photography are equally amazing, the night-time scenes are lit with eye-popping colors that give it a comic book look and feel to it.

Overall, in my opinion, The Mask is still entertaining, and I do feel this is Jim Carrey's Magnum Opus (along with Ace Ventura, and Dumb & Dumber).