Nothing like the comics but a huge blast of zany fun - 81%

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2009)

I actually watched this about two weeks ago but have been busy honeymooning and other wonderful things. In fact, I actually remember this movie vividly because it was the first movie I got on VHS for Christmas many years ago. I remember it for its groundbreaking CG work, inventive and original story, the jaw-dropping debut scenes of Cameron Diaz and the zany face-pulling brilliance of a young Jim Carrey. And ignoring the frankly diabolical sequel, I find it strange that no-one else was able to produce a decent follow-up because this still makes me laugh more than 15 years later. It may little to do with the much darker source material and anyone who doesn't like Carrey in Robin Williams-tribute-mode should run for the hills but this viewer rates "The Mask" as a real class act.
In case this somehow passed you by, the film introduces us to everyday loser Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey) who works in a bank in rundown Edge City with his self-styled Lothario friend Charlie (Richard Jeni) and lives alone with his dog Milo and a vast collection of cartoons. But when Stanley discovers a mysterious wooden mask, he finds himself transformed into the larger-than-life ladies man he wished he could be. With a seemingly limitless supply of powers, The Mask begins tearing Edge City up but not without incurring the wrath of local hoodlum Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene) and the sour-faced Lt. Kellaway (Peter Riegert).
The only things ruining "The Mask" for me is the feeling that if the movie hadn't strayed this far from the original comics and retained the edgy darkness thereof, we would still have a decent movie worth watching. Having said that, you would be a complete clot to ignore this film altogether because this is still a brilliantly entertaining family film, filled with enough humour for children and adults alike. Made when CG was still in its infancy, it's incredible to realise how well the technology has been utilised. From cartoon-headed dogs to mischievous alarm clocks, this is a film with a great deal of thought behind it. But the old school hasn't been forgotten either - Max, the dog that plays Milo, is actually the best of the lot and his performance is the funniest by far! Certainly, he's funnier than Carrey whose wide-eyed mania begins to grate after a while. The other performers do well maintaining a straight face throughout the mayhem, Diaz probably leading the pack as Dorian's reluctant moll.
But this is Carrey's film and whether you'll enjoy "The Mask" depends largely on whether you enjoy Carrey in whirlwind mode. Personally, I prefer Carrey to the likes of Robin Williams or Jack Black and he certainly does a better job than *spits* Alan Cumming did in the retched sequel. What's surprising about "The Mask" is that despite the emerging talent on show and the then-not-quite-perfect science of CGI, this is still a hugely watchable film that most viewers will enjoy. I'm not sure why IMDb's rating (6.6 at the time of writing) seems so low, maybe there are more fans of the comic out there than I anticipated and I imagine they were disappointed with this. But never having read the comics, I find this a wonderfully quirky family film alternative despite the occasionally edgy humour. Sssssmokin'!