Title: The Mask
Starring: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck
Directed By: Chuck Russell
Produced By: Mike Richardson, Chuck Russell, Michael de Luca
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Romance and Science Fiction/Fantasy
Release Date: July 29, 1994
MPAA Rating: PG-13

The first movie I am reviewing for Dark Horse month is the now classic The Mask , starring Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss, a loser who finds an ancient Norse mask. When Ipkiss puts the mask on, he becomes a bigger than life prankster called, aptly enough, The Mask. First it's all fun and games, until when The Mask robs the bank in which Stanley works at the same time as local crime wanna be boss Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene). Dorian then wants (and gets) the mask for himself. Ipkiss, with the help of his friend Charlie (Richard Jeni) and his dog Milo, must save the day. Oh, and Cameron Diaz in her first movie role is some smoking eye candy as nightclub singer/love interest Tina Carlyle.

I had actually forgotten how great this movie is! We see Jim Carrey at the very beginning of his movie career with only Ace Ventura and the little known vampire comedy Once Bitten and the TV show In Living Color under his belt. This is the Carrey that I know and love: cartoony, outrageous and over the top. And yet he can also play the dorky, loser Ipkiss with a sincerity that doesn't make him seem like the stereotypical loser. What can I say about Cameron Diaz except that she is at her most beautiful here. She isn't my cup of tea (I think she is way too goofy these days), but here The Mask said it best -smokin'! Other mentions are Peter Greene as Dorian, who looks the part and has the voice, but comes off a tad bit whiny, Peter Riegert as Lt. Mitch Kellaway, who looks and acts even less like a cop than I do, and Max as Milo the dog. Max gives an awesome performance. Yes, it's so good I am mentioning him as part of the cast!

I know that the movie is extremely different from the comics from Dark Horse, which from what I have gleaned from the extra features, were a darker, horror comic with a sense of humor, but I think it was a great decision to lighten it up a bit and cast Carrey as the lead. I have never read a The Mask comic, so purists may disagree. Anyways, the effects are phenomenal, holding up after 13 years! (Man, I feel old) of technological advancement that has brought us the Star Wars prequels and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Hell, there are effects in here that look better than some in this summers Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer !

If you haven't seen The Mask yet, go buy it. It is a great addition to any collection. And, if you have seen it, I urge you to revisit it once again and see how a comic movie can be extremely successful without having to stay true to the source material rote by rote.

Wow, this one turned out longer than expected.

Until they make a Mask movie without Jim Carrey, wait, they did that already, oh well,
keep reading

Mitch E