There's absolutely no masking of the fun here, this film is hugely entertaining

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2008)

Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a glorified bank teller and a shy, "nice guy". This means his salary, prestige, and success with women are very limited. Living in a small apartment with his faithful dog, Milo, and with the landlady from Hades next door, Stanley keeps trying, nevertheless. When the lovely Tina Carlisle (Cameron Diaz), a lounge singer, comes to open an account, Ipkiss is more than attentive and gracious. One day later, his car breaks down and he is also thrown into the gutter by a pretentious nightclub bouncer. Ending up in a river, our hero finds an old wooden mask. For some unknown reason, he takes the relic home and flings it onto the couch. But, aha! That mask is magic and the following evening, Stanley is compelled to put it on. From that moment, Stanley is transformed, when the sun goes down, into a green-faced, super-powered, ultra-confident man. Heading toward the nightclub where he was rejected, he scores a hit with the crowd and with the lovely Tina. But, during the night, he also beats up some thugs and scared his landlady, so the police detective (Peter Riegert) comes by to ask questions. With the mob gaining power in the town, especially Tina's horrific boyfriend, Dorian, the detective wants to curtail the criminal activity. But, can Stanley avoid the urge when the mask's powerful magnetism comes calling? This is a hugely entertaining film that masks none of the fun from its intended audience. Although there is enough violence and sexual connotations to make the film unsuitable for the youngest, older children and adults will delight in the flick's antics and Carrey's irresistible performance. As the man who goes from "zero to hero", Carrey's genius for physical comedy is a total delight. The supporting cast is also nice, with Diaz a huge asset in her first major film, for she is utterly gorgeous and sweet. Riegert, too, is dead-pan fun as the uber-serious detective, while all of the other cast members give equally memorable turns. The setting in seedy "Edge City" is marvelously tacky while the costumes, especially Tina's knockout outfits, are very nice. As for the script, the direction, and the special effects, they are all beyond great. Miraculous might be a better word! In short, if your goal for an evening's film choice is to laugh, laugh, and laugh some more, here is a first tier candidate. It would be difficult to see anyone not having a swell time while watching The Mask.