Review of The Mask (1994) by Christopher S — 09 Sep 2013

With his first feature, Jim Carrey annoyed me to the point of almost causing irrevocable damage to his fledgling career with just one film. His follow-up, "The Mask", is very suited to his brand of manic energy, and while his schtick also grates on you after a while just as it did in "Ace Ventura", this is much more palatable.

I don't think that I can yet honestly call him funny, but this film is visually diverting, fast-paced and features some terrific supporting performances. Carrey is obviously the focus and selling point of the film, but in all honesty, he's much more appealing to me as Stanley Ipkiss than as his energetic alter-ego.

The film is based on a series of comic books, and talented director Chuck Russell captures that comic look and feel perfectly. I almost wish the film would have done more with that. The cinematography and special effects are quite good, and it's apparent that a lot of time was spent on the small details and that this isn't just a one-man show. Perhaps the best and brightest special effect in the entire film is the stunning Cameron Diaz in her film debut. She had yet to stretch her acting chops, but she hasn't looked this good on film since. Peter Reigert is also quite funny in a secondary role as a cop. He gets in perhaps the funniest line in the film with a crack about Carrey's pajamas.

The star would go back to the well that made him a star many times throughout his career, but "The Mask" remains one of his better efforts. But the fact remains that he is only a small part of what I liked about it.