"No, I don't smoke, but for you? I'd shoot the Surgeon General!"

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2017)

I have a feeling 'The Mask' was based on a comic book, but I haven't read it! Therefore, I can't really say how well it's transferred across to the big screen. Although I can say that it works. Carrey plays a – depressingly average – guy who's too nice for his own good. Everyone takes advantage of him and his life is pretty awful. Naturally, when he finds a mysterious wooden mask that when worn transforms him into a green-faced superhero, he chooses to fight crime, protect the weak and generally stand up for justice. Or rather he kind of considers all those options. He mainly just uses his new powers to get back at all those people who have wronged him and do his best to woo the – then unknown – Cameron Diaz. Yeah, the story is hardly original and, if you've seen any of Marvel's latest offerings, it's pretty much identical to every other superhero film, i.e. man gets superpowers, man fights crime, defeats villain and gets girl. But, don't let any small lack of originality put you off. It's not there to be a great work of art with deep and meaningful prose and character arcs. It's there to entertain, utilizing Carrey's full repartee to the max.
I really liked this film, as I think it shows off splendidly the comedic talent of Jim Carrey at his best. This film is the perfect production for him to unleash his unique brand of comedy whether it is over the top, or damped down for a specific scene. Normally, the best films are 'team efforts' when the cast all play their parts. Not here. Here it's just Carrey, Carrey, Carrey. He steals every scene and created a thousand new catch phrases in the process. This film is a lot of fun, and director Chuck Russell does a real nice job of crafting a true to life Tex Avery cartoon that lovers of the older short cartoons will truly enjoy and ever since it was originally released in the cinema again I really loved this film and is a really true tour-de-force comedy classic and shows off the actors at their best. The soundtrack - what can I say! Jazz and swing, and the whole art decor feel of places like the Coco Bongo night club - it's just got a whole 1920's, yet modern, feel to it - it's very aesthetically pleasing. Feast on a comic book creation being transferred onto the big screen in an all time "Carrey classic", this film will definitely bring out your childish side.
Overall rating: 9 out of 10.