The Mask Review
by Michael J. Legeros (legeros AT unx DOT sas DOT com)August 9th, 1994
THE MASK
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by Chuck Russell
Written by Mike Werb, based on the Dark Horse comic book character Cast Jim Carrey
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time Approx. 100 minutes
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"Somebody STOP me!"
- Jim Carrey
This thin-but-amusing adaptation of the Dark Horse comic book is closer in spirit to BEETLEJUICE than BATMAN, though it *really* resembles the third segment of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE. By Joe Dante. Pet Detective Jim Carrey stars as a mild-mannered bank clerk who dons a mystic mask to transform into something wilder and hipper than Jerry Lewis *ever* imagined.
The concept is canny enough: a green-faced, yellow zoot-suited superhero be-bopping around and just generally causing mischief in the dark, edgy city of Edge City. Complete with nifty matte painting ala BATMAN. Said mask is discovered by a diver, floats to the surface, and is finally found by repressed-but-still-a-nice-guy bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey).
(Though, frankly, Jim Carrey is pretty soggy as a milquetoast. But *we* know he's the hero-to-be and that's all that counts, anyway.)
The fun comes when Stanley tries on the mask and is transformed into a living cartoon character, just like the ones he like to watch after work. Stanley spins like the Tazmanian Devil and bounces like Woody Woodpecker, to name a few. The twist is that Stanley Ipkiss, aka The Mask, is not a goody two-shoes and he ends up doing some of his *own* dirty deeds that set both the cops *and* the crooks on his yellow tail.
Viewers still recovering from ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE can relax; THE MASK is not a Jim Carrey vehicle, per se. The rubber-faced actor actually exerts *some* self-control over the course of the film and that's good news because Carrey can be a bit much to take. (Even Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters work within boundaries. For Carrey, there *are* no rules.)
Though the comic is clearly captivating, the real star is/are the (literally) eye-popping special effects that allows Carrey to stretch and contort into shapes previously only permitted for cartoon characters. Too bad that too many of the gags-- such as Carrey turning into a whistling wolf-- go on too long. THE MASK needs twice as many gags in half the time.
There are two dance routines, though, that are pretty fun, including Carrey as "Cuban Pete" in a sequence that recalls the "Banana Boat Song" from BEETLEJUICE. And don't miss a dog who's a better scene-stealer than Eddie from TV's "Fraiser."
Production values are all surprising strong-- notably in the sound department-- but the story doesn't have either an edge or an interesting subplot to speak of. There's noir to run from a bad "B"-movie menu of supporting characters including a siren (Cameron Diaz), a gangster, a rasping Mr. Big, and a smart-mouthed cynic cop (Peter Reigert).
Most disappointing are too many obvious references to animator extraordinaire Tex Avery. Subtly, where is thy sting?
BOTTOM LINE: A must-see for Carrey fans; a manageable matinee for the rest of us.
Grade: B-
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
