The Mask

Jim Carrey plays Stanely Ipkiss, a mild mannered bank clerk who discovers a magical mask; whoever puts it on after dark is turned into a wild green faced cartoon creature of their inner dreams. It turns Stanley into a manic romantic, which gets him into a lot of trouble with the police when he robs his bank, and a bunch of gangsters he beat to the heist.

The Mask scenes are good: this kind of wild overacting is what Carrey does best, the cartoon influences are handled with real wit, and the SFX are great. But the contrasting 'daytime' scenes tend to drag a bit, and Carrey can't really play the ordinary guy: the odd grimace keep appearing.

The best bits are the dancing policemen during the 'Cuban Pete' routine, and when Stanley's little dog puts on the mask.

Rating: 3

[ unmissable | great stuff | worth watching | mind candy | waste of time | unfinishable ]

reviewed 26 December 1997