Has anyone had a better three films in one year than Jim Carrey’s 1994? He broke into the mainstream with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and later delivered my favorite comedy of all time, “Dumb and Dumber.” In between came “The Mask,” which is his best superhero performance/movie (sorry “Batman Forever” and “Kick-Ass 2”), even though it comes up in conversation less than other roles from his vintage period.
From shtick to sad sack
Carrey tones down his “Ace Ventura” shtick as nice guy banker Stanley Ipkiss. He’s an Old Hollywood sad-sack romantic, and all of his longing looks pair perfectly with Cameron Diaz, who needs no introduction in that stunning red dress as she comes in from the rain (although she does get an “introducing” credit). Later nearly stealing a song-and-dance number from Carrey in full Mask mode, Diaz is an obvious star here as Tina.
When Stanley puts on the Mask, we get a mixture of the frantic flailing of Carrey’s limbs and cutting-edge visual effects that totally hold up. It would be easy for director Charles Russell to let the Oscar-nominated effects dominate the screen time, but he doesn’t.
“The Mask” (1994)
Director: Chuck Russell
Writers: Michael Fallon, Mark Verheiden, Mike Werb
Stars: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert
The Mask’s computer-enhanced antics blend perfectly with Carrey’s performance. For example, when The Mask goes ga-ga over Tina’s stage performance (with expressions that you’ve seen as giphys today), it’s all special effects, but it’s exactly what Carrey would do.
Mike Werb delivers a boilerplate screenplay, working from the story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden, who themselves draw from the Dark Horse Comics series that started in 1987. A family friendly film, “The Mask’s” plot isn’t surprising, but has timeless charm as Stanley’s inner romantic – along with superpowers that include invisibility, stretchiness and impressions of famous movie lines — comes out when he puts on the magical ancient mask.
Steady stream of delights
Still, “The Mask” deserves credit for peppering in a steady stream of delights. Comedian Richard Jeni, who sadly died in 2007, plays Stanley’s best bud Charlie and does material that’s either his own or close to it. (Sample line: “That girl will tear your heart out, put it in a blender and hit ‘frappe.’ ”) Stanley’s loyal little dog Milo gets a heroic subplot that lands just right.
The design team and cinematographer John R. Leonetti concoct an appealing look. Heavy on backlots, “The Mask” is flat and dimly lit, yet colorful in a comic-book way. The villains – led by Peter Greene’s smarmy Dorian – are violent and unappealing, but editor Arthur Coburn keeps things moving so we don’t have to dwell on them.
It’d be easy to dismiss “The Mask” as one of those special effects movies from the era when people were overly enamored with effects. Or as just another of Carrey’s physically driven performances. But neither of those descriptions are complete.
The movie uses its effects as part of the humor, and Carrey resonates as an Everyman just as much as a funnyman. “Ace Ventura’s” gags were more shocking at the time and “Dumb and Dumber” is funnier, but “The Mask” is the anchor of Carrey’s amazing 1994 trifecta.