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178 reviews in total

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91 out of 108 people found the following review useful:
Incredible success when seen as a surrealistic cinematic pastiche, 22 February 2005

Author: Brandt Sponseller from New York City

Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a bit of a dorky pushover. For example, he buys hot concert tickets to try to get a date with a fellow bank employee he's been pining after, but she easily scams him into keeping the tickets for herself, and he is too weak to publicly object. But when he comes across an ancient mask of Lodi long ago discarded by Vikings who tried to bury the "troublesome object" at the "end of the Earth", he discovers it has the power to unlock his true self--suave, smooth-talking, manic, a bit dangerous, and a hopeless romantic.

The Mask was a perfect vehicle for Jim Carrey. It not only allowed provided the perfect justification to flamboyantly engage in his rubber-faced antics in a manner even more over-the-top than what he'd become famous for, but it provided an opportunity to stretch his acting chops towards a more serious side at just the right time in his career, paving the way for later work such as Man on the Moon (1999), The Majestic (2001) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

The success of the film wholly depends on Carrey, as he has to sell his characters' frenzied insanity so that it's believable as a reflection of Stanley's inner self while at the same time likable but teetering on the edge of becoming obnoxiously overbearing. Of course, the amazing special effects and make-up help, as well as the clever script and more than competent directing and cinematography, but with the wrong actor in the part, the whole affair could have easily collapsed. The other cast members are fine in supporting roles, with Cameron Diaz coming across as being almost otherworldly beautiful, but Carrey is rarely off-screen, and rightly so.

The Mask is notable for both spoofing almost the whole history of cinema while at the same time respectfully paying homage to it. The audience is treated to everything from silent film slapstick to lavish musical numbers (with excellent songs), frenzied Tex Avery-styled animation to gangster film suspense. On its surface, the film is a crazy, often funny, hyperactively paced cinematic pastiche.

The subtext about identity and public faces versus private selves is interesting, but not the focus. It would be fine to explore further, but to do so in this particular film would have taken too much time away from Carrey's surrealistic tour de force. Besides, we've had later films where that subtext has been closer to the heart of a story, such as Catwoman (2004), and where it was very thoroughly and competently dealt with.

Many aspects of The Mask differed from the comic book source material, but this is a case where the changes led to such an excellent result that most people have forgotten about the source material and primarily remember Carrey's performance in this film as definitive.

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88 out of 111 people found the following review useful:
Awesome!, 11 November 2002

Author: Pimpin` Critic 69 from Your Critic of Critics

This is easily Jim Carrey's greatest picture! Not only that but in my opinion this was one of the funniest films of the `90s. This is such a fun movie that you can see it 10 times and it's still as fun as the first time. The film stars Jim Carrey in another amazing performance and the BEAUTIFUL Cameron Diaz in her debut.

Also this is kind of like the Rocky Horror Picture Show of my generation. I remember Halloween 1995 when my friends and I dressed up as the characters from this movie and did the Cuban Beat! :)

4(****)out of 4(****)stars

An ENTERTAINING MASTERPIECE!!!!

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76 out of 94 people found the following review useful:
One of the greatest comedies I have ever seen, 26 August 2005

Author: mareksir from Czech Republic

Actually, I saw The Mask by accident. I wet to the cinema with my friend to watch something. When we arrived at the cinema and saw the poster showing The Mask we did not feel like watching it. But as it was a long way home we decided to go and see the film. And we enjoyed the movie so much that we decided to go to see it next day again. The first time we watched it we did not catch everything as our eyes were flooded with tears of laugh and our bellies hurt form laugh cramps. The story is really catching and Jim Carry is simply fabulous. The plot makes you think what it would be like if you had the mask and what you would do with it. Stanley Ippkiss in his funny quest made me be happy with what I am and what I have. The Mask is undoubtedly one of my most favorite comedies and it has a steady place on my video shelf.

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58 out of 65 people found the following review useful:
"The Mask" is, and forever will be, SMOKIN'!, 19 September 2005

Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

"The Mask" was the movie that introduced my family to Jim Carrey. And we all thought that it was great. Carrey plays unlucky bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss, who one night finds an ancient mask. When he puts it on, he turns into sort of a cartoon character; think Roger Rabbit on acid. The really great thing about the movie is that they just turn Carrey loose. Anything that you can imagine him doing, he does here. A particularly funny scene is when the police tell him to freeze, you'd better believe that he freezes! All in all, Jim Carrey's humor will never get old. He may have given his all-time funniest performance in "The Mask".

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38 out of 45 people found the following review useful:
Somebody stop that Jim!, 13 February 2004

Author: DarthBill from United States

This was the movie that got me into Jim Carrey (though I'd seen him on "In Living Color" a couple of times), and it's still my favorite, though Ace Ventura #1 was also kind of funny.

The great thing about this film is that Jim is actually really restrained all throughout, only going into goof ball mode when he puts on the Mask. He's pretty likable and engaging here, not quite as prone to irritating some audience members like he did in "Batman Forever" and "Ace Ventura #2". Cameron Diaz... my God, she looked SO GOOD here, how have her looks faded so quickly since this film? She looks so... plastic now, kind of like a giant Barbie doll.

One of the big standout scenes in this one is Jim singing "Cuban Pete" to escape all the cops. Not that the other Mask gags are unfunny, but Cuban Pete really stands out. Too bad the cartoon Mask didn't have a little more restraint to it.

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40 out of 53 people found the following review useful:
How to cast Jim Carrey, 19 December 1999

Author: Spleen from Canberra, Australia

It's hard to use Jim Carrey in a movie. He's very good at his rapid-fire mimicry routine, but how can it ever be anything other than a diversion from both character and story? (Very rarely is it a pleasant diversion. `Ace Ventura' was unendurable.) And yet, what else can you do with him?

The `Mask' solves the problem so neatly it almost cheats. The story is ABOUT someone with a double life - so by day, Carrey does all the character and story stuff, and by night, wearing the mask, he does his stand-up schtick. The two are as integrated as they need to be. It's pulled off with such an air of innocence I can't possibly complain. SOME of the clichés (those to do with the police especially) are so very worn out that even the most thorough of movie-goers is surprised to find them still alive; but the writer seems to have been honestly unaware that they were clichés, so that's okay.

I was told that the film is saturated with animation in-jokes. I couldn't spot very many. Stanley-with-the-mask has the soul of a Tex Avery cartoon character: I suspect that's all there is to it. The computer animation, or the computer-enhancement of Carrey's animation, is tastefully done. It never looks pasted over the top of the footage the way so much computer animation does. (`The Mask' failed to win an Oscar in the special effects category - like so many other more deserving films, it was beaten by `Forrest Gump'.) The Cuban dance numbers are irresistible, as is Stanley's pet dog. Sure, `The Mask' is no masterpiece, but it's a clever, charming film that richly deserved its runaway success.

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27 out of 28 people found the following review useful:
A Fine comedy treat, 22 January 2007

Author: mjw2305 from England

Carrey is on top mad-cap form in the Mask, he plays Stanley Ipkiss, a boring Mr. nice guy with a longing for more excitement and success in his life. When he finds a relic of an ancient mask, he gets slightly more than he could have dreamt of; he becomes a cartoonish superhero and at last he can live out his desires; or not!

This film also introduced the very beautiful Cameron Diaz, and what man can forget her first screen appearance as she breezes in to the bank in all her splendour.

Hilariously funny, cracking special effects and a thoroughly entertaining story, the Mask is a winner people, and it's an absolute must-see for everyone who likes a bit of Jim Carrey madness.

7/10

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26 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
one of Carrey's best, 15 April 2002
Author: Special-K88

Broad, cartoonish comedy stars Carrey as a down on his luck banker whose once uneventful life is suddenly changed when he uncovers a mysterious ancient mask that brings out his innermost desires. After developing a close bond and gradual affection for a sexy songbird and prospective client (Diaz), he then tangles with her ruthless, lowlife gangster boyfriend (Greene). Lively, imaginative comedy with big laughs and nifty effects that almost make you feel like you're watching a live-action cartoon. The violence borders on extreme, but there are more than enough classic Carrey moments to make up for it. A must for Carrey fans. ***

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40 out of 59 people found the following review useful:
S-s-s-s-mokin'!, 23 December 2002

Author: MovieAddict2012 from UK

Jim Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, a "zero" as the film tagline says, who never speaks his mind about anything. The typical mild-mannered guy.

After Stanley finds an enchanted mask under a bridge one day, though, everything changes. He goes from "zero to hero". But first, he plays around with his new found menacing powers.

Calling the mask a hero is like calling Hitler kind of a good guy. The mask makes Stanley rob banks, scare people and more. He's half-hero.

"The Mask" is not great, but it fits Carrey's film persona quite well. He bounces off the wall (literally) and just doesn't sit still. Typical Carrey.

If you're not one for loser-to-hero films or wacky slapstick, don't see "The Mask". Otherwise, it's worth a peek.

3/5 stars

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18 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
One of my favorites in my DVD collection, 23 November 2003

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Remember back in the day with the hit TV show In Living Color had several stars, one of them being Jim Carrey. He was one goofy guy with crazy physical comedy routines that could get your stomach hurting from laughing so much. But could this man make it to the top and possibly bring in a number one movie at the box office? He did, with 1994's smash hit The Mask. I remember seeing this movie when I was 9 years old and being in the theater nearly dying of laughter. I wanted this movie so badly on VHS when it was released, my parents got it for me and I think I must have played it a few dozen times a day. Jim Carrey was like no comedian that I had seen with how crazy this guy would be and The Mask truly showcased his talents.

Stanley Ipkiss, a clerk at an Edge City bank, is a shy, luckless romantic who is regularly bullied by nearly everyone around him, including his boss, his landlady, and car mechanics. His only friends are his dog Milo and his co-worker Charlie Schumacher. Stanley is smitten with Tina, a beautiful young woman who his new client at his bank. Later that night Charlie and Stanley go to a club, but after being denied entrance to the Coco Bongo, Stanley is stranded with a broken-down rental car at the city's filthy harbor, where he finds a mysterious wooden mask. When he takes the object home and puts it on, it comes alive, wraps around his head, and transforms him into a wackily-suited, green-headed, cartoonish figure called "The Mask", a trickster unbound by any limitations whether be personal inhibitions or physical laws, who cheerfully exacts revenge on some of Stanley's tormentors and terrifies a street gang that attempts to terrorize him.

I still watch The Mask to this day, it's one of my personal favorites in my DVD collection. Jim Carrey is still a blast to watch, how could you not laugh during his Cuban Pete performance and getting all the cops that are trying to arrest him into a salsa dance? Cameron Diaz's first ever movie, God I wanted to look like her so badly when I was a kid, she was so beyond gorgeous and absolutely adorable in The Mask. Even Peter Greene made one heck of a creepy villain as Dorian and seeing him transform the mask into something like a monster was just scary. Then seeing Jim Carrey's dog transform into the mask was classic slapstick three stooge like humor that would get anyone laughing hard. The Mask is a classic that I will always enjoy and recommend if you need a good laugh, great Jim Carrey movie, still one of my favorites.

9/10

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