Jim Carrey stars in this violent, cartoonish comedy. He plays timid bank
clerk Stanley Ipkiss, who, after finding a mask in a river and placing it
on his face (ugh! Who knows where that mask has been?) he turns into a
wild, cartoon like person with a green face. Cameron Diaz falls in love
with him, and The Mask also gets into trouble with a gang of gangsters,
after accidentally killing one of their men.
What follows is a fast paced, sometimes violent, and usually funny, comedy.
The special effects are fantastic, with the mask testing computer graphics
to the limit with eyes popping out, getting flattened, and turning into
different characters in the blink of an eye. Also, Ipkiss dog puts the mask
on as well, and a whole load of new special effects kick in. Jim Carrey
plays a cartoon very well, with silly voices, and some great catchphrases.
There's also some very moments, such as when The Mask does a production
number with the police force, and his death sequence in the Coca Bongo is
great as well.
The film has some flaws though. Firstly, the bad guys are far too intense
in a family comedy like this, and are too violent. The violence should be
expected though, as the director usually directs film like Eraser.
Also, if you hate Carrey (and some people do) you're going to really,
really hate this movie. But I guess you already knew that. Also, Diaz is
wasted, and the ending is pretty weak.
But despite its flaws, there enough in here to make it watchable, and it's
actually quite enjoyable. Overall then, this is a good Carrey vehicle, but
it's a little too violent for younger kids.
Copyright © 1994 David Wilcock
