The Mask: If you like innuendos I've found your film.

And so, I finally got around to seeing ‘The Mask’ (1994). This is a film that for several reasons (one being a creative reason that is being kept under wraps) has been brought up in conversation with me recently with the general outcome of those conversations being shock that I haven’t seen it. This isn’t the only film where this is the case. Hell, the amount of times my mother has gasped at the fact that I have never seen ‘Pretty Women’ (1990) despite me repeatedly telling her is genuinely astounding. But with the fact that my lack of having seen ‘The Mask’ was met with bemusement on more than one occasion by more than one person recently, couple with the fact it is now available on Netflix, it seemed only right to finally getting around to seeing it. The film follows Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), a banker who is seen as a nice guy but also a bit of a loser. His life is turned around when he finds a mysterious mask that, when he puts it on, grants him incredible powers but also changes his personality, making him cause havoc around the city. His hijinks catch the eye of both the police and the criminal underworld who both set their sights on capturing him.

This film is pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. I mean it is a 90s Jim Carrey film so the fact that is a vehicle for him to show off his ability to contort his face and body as well as his wide range of impressions. The basis of how the powers of the mask work lend themselves perfectly to his acting style. The man is effectively a walking cartoon so having him play what is effectively a cartoon is perfect casting. And that is what this film feels like, a live action cartoon. It has a ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988) vibe to it which may very well have been what they were going for. There is probably a train of thought these days that would say the special effects do not hold up and I do get it, but the fact that the effects look like a cartoon doesn’t matter because they are there to be cartoonish. The film is completely ridiculous so the fact the CGI doesn’t look realistic does not bother me in the slightest. The acting in the film all works well for the vibe the film is going for as well. Cameron Diaz is fun in her role and all the bit part actors capture their characters well as well, but this was always going to be the Jim Carrey show and he of course steals every scene he is in. Although Milo the dog does push him close.

So, it turns out I did enjoy this film, although I feel like if I had seen it when I was a kid, I would have enjoyed it more. The film straddles the line of being a kid’s film and a more of an adult learning, dark comedy and I think this doesn’t help the film. This is mostly because the more adult oriented side of the film is effectively just throwing in a load of innuendos (lol, load). This would be fine if the film also went a bit further with some of the bloodshed stuff. There are a ton of gun fights and quite a lot of people die in this film, and if the film took those moments to ridiculous levels, say like a Tarantino film, I think it could have took the comedy up a notch. As it is it feels like it is trying to be adult while also being a little childish and it doesn’t hit a lot of the time. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hit all of the time, because this does remain a funny film. I had a few laugh out loud moments and I was consistently entertained from start to finish, with the fourth wall breaking aspects of the film being particular highlights. I also got a kick out of how no one in the city seems fazed by ‘The Mask’ despite his supernatural powers. I think there was a lot of potential for this film to be a genuinely superb comedy, but it remains a very solid comedy which also feels so 90s which is both a positive and, at times, a negative.

So, I don’t love this film as much as my counterparts who couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy. I feel like it could have done much more with the comedy in the film, but what they did do with it remains a lot of fun and I did get a good few laughs out of it. I think where this film falls down for me is in the more childish moments, and I think that is probably due to my lack of nostalgia associated with the film. I would have loved these moments as a kid, and I think if I had seen the film as a child it would be dear to my heart. But instead it lands as a fun comedy that I can imagine I will see again. The majority of you have probably already seen this film, but for those who haven’t it is a fun watch so I’d say it is worth a go.