The year 1994 was filled with profound films in all kinds of different genres. It was not only packed with Oscar contender films such as Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, Leon, and The Shawshank Redemption, to some phenomenal popcorn flicks such as The Lion King, Speed, True Lies, and this was a great year for comedies, and perhaps Jim Carrey’s best year as a comedy actor. Not only did he do three different comedy films, but all three of them were also genuinely entertaining films that raised the standards for comedy, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and of course; The Mask!
How to Download The Mask
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
Jim Carrey’s character Stanley Ipkiss is a bit of a nerdy softie, and honestly, a pushover. For instance, he purchases tickets to a popular concert in an effort to arrange a date with a fellow bank employee that he has been crushing on forever. However, she easily connives to keep the tickets for herself, and he is unable to openly protest. However, when he finds a long-forgotten mask of Lodi, an ancient relic that the Vikings threw away centuries ago and tried burying at the ends of the Earth.
After trying on the mask, Ipkiss finds that it has this mask possesses enough power to reveal his inner, real, actual self. The sophisticated, smooth-talking, suave, mellow, maniacal, and a little psychopathic inner self realized by the mask will change Ipkiss’ life forever.
The Mask is famous for both respectfully paying homage to and parodying practically the entire history of cinema at the same time. Audiences are treated to everything from elaborate musical numbers with some good songs to gangster film suspense to silent film slapstick.
The movie appears to be a chaotic, frequently amusing, hyperactively paced piece of fresh cinematic experiences. The focus is not the identity subtext, which is interesting but extremely sidelined for the most part in favor of the comedy. Further dissection of this would be better as it would have given the movie’s characters a little more depth. This particular component is seriously deficient.
Jim Carrey was 100% the most perfect casting choice for The Mask. It gave him the opportunity to stretch his acting skills towards a more serious side at a crucial time in his career, paving the way for later roles in films like Man on the Moon (1999), The Majestic (2001), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
This film also provided Carrey the perfect rationalization to glamorously engage in his world-renowned face flexing antics in a manner even more over-the-top than what he had become such a global superstar for. This was simply the peak of Carrey’s comedy era, after which he decided to head into more art house territory that fit the bill as well. Not to mention, who can forget Cameron Diaz’s jump-in into the world of Hollywood films, she seems to be having a great time in The Mask!
The Music
The majority of the soundtrack is excellent here as well. The movie’s opening theme, various instrumental themes, and even the upbeat songs Hey Pachuco and Cuban Pete are fantastic. Jim Carrey even performed Cuban Pete himself in a funny scene in which he dances and makes the policeman dance. The highlight was Cameron Diaz singing beautifully with a voice that could rival most jazz singers. It really inspires you into dancing by yourself!
The Atmosphere
I do have to commend director Chuck Russel for managing to keep the dark atmosphere from the comic books within this film. It’s perhaps the most absurd of absurdist comedies, but it keeps the atmosphere dark and its story content light, bringing a balance of both worlds. This can be seen with Jim Carrey’s Ipkiss in day, and The Mask at night!
The film is visually not the best looking, but it’s so creative with different forms of set design, camera work, animation, and visual changes that you can’t help but love it!
The Verdict
I genuinely like this movie. It’s hardly the greatest film ever or anything of the sort, but it’s still a hilarious entertainer. The Mask is a tremendously entertaining, frantic, and colorfully directed film with wonderful visual effects, great direction, funny writing, and phenomenal performances by Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz.
It’s truly one of Carrey’s best films and a standout example of the absurdist comedy subgenre.
