# Mask, The (1994)

### reviewed by
Ben Hoffman

                                      THE MASK
                           A film review by Ben Hoffman
                            Copyright 1994 Ben Hoffman

The biggest thing in movie making these last few years has been the advent of fantastic special effects. Leading the pack is ILM, Industrial Light & Magic, which has given us JURASSIC PARK, DEATH BECOMES HER, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, ET: THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL, the "Indiana Jones" series, the "Star Wars" trilogy, and on to FORREST GUMP. In THE MASK they live up to their reputation as the best.

Here the wearer of the mask has all the outlandish movements we are accustomed to seeing in cartoons. The character spins like a top, whirls into the air and away, has eyes that pop way out, a tongue about a yard long, a heart that jumps out several yards and pumps away.

But while special effects are great the movie also needs a story and THE MASK provides that along with some great comedy by Jim Carrey. Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey) is a timid bank clerk. Into the bank (with thunder and music turned way up) enters Tina (Cameron Diaz in her first film): tall, blonde and with a body made in heaven. While making advances on the stunned Ipkiss, the camera in her purse is taking pictures of the vault.

When, through a series of circumstances, Ipkiss finds a mask that has been in a treasure chest under sea for many years, he puts it on his face as a gag and instantly changes into a man of action, a super hero. Bullets cannot stop him. He whirls, he dodges, he is invincible but always in a highly original and humorous way.

Very funny dialogue aids the film so that Carrey's broad comedic style here and the odd story of the magical mask all result in a hilarious and different kind of movie. While the film could use about 15 minutes of editing, it is one of the funniest to come along in a great while.

    Directed by Charles Russell.

    3.5 bytes
    4 Bytes = Absolutely must see.
    3 Bytes = Too good to be missed.
    2 Bytes = So so.
    1 Byte  = Save your money.

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