90's Throwback Month - The Mask (1994)
Hey guys, Chuck here. Today for 90's Throwback Month, it's time to look at a film from the 90's that everyone loves, and is still remembered fondly to this day, and that film is 1994's The Mask starring Jim Carrey and directed by Chuck Russell.
Loosely based on the comic book series of the same name by Dark Horse Comics, The Mask follows mild-mannered banker Stanley Ipkiss, who after a humiliating night of getting a piece of crap car to drive while his own is still being repaired, being kept from entering the newest night club in Edge City, the Coco Bongo, despite his best friend and co-worker gaining entrance, and having the car he was lent literally fall to pieces, returns home after finding an ancient looking wooden mask in the river. After watching a VHS tape of cartoons, appropriately titled Screwball Classics, Stanley tries the mask on, only to be transformed into a green-faced, all powerful being known as the Mask, who acts like a literal cartoon character. After a night that included frightening his landlady, scaring off some muggers, and attacking the two hicks that ran the auto shop his car was being fixed at, Stanley wakes up the next morning, free of the mask, and not remembering much of what happened the night before, even when questioned by police lieutenant Mitch Kellaway.
Meanwhile, career criminal and owner of the Coco Bongo, Dorian Tyrell, is making plans to rob the bank that Stanley works at in an effort to usurp local crime boss Nico. That evening, in which Stanley decides to use the Mask to woo Tina Carlyle, a singer at the Coco Bongo and client of his at the bank (and yes, there is a mutual attraction between both Stanley and Tina), and gets to the bank and takes the money before Dorian's men, led by a criminal named Freeze, are able to get the money. The Mask and Tina have a wild dance at the club to the song "Hey! Pachuco!", but their fun is interrupted by Dorian, who wants the money that was stolen from the bank. After a bit of sillines during a shoot-out with the Mask, the Mask head off and Kellaway arrives and arrests Dorian and his men, but upon seeing a piece of PJ's worn by Stanley, which turned into PJ's when a piece of the Mask's tie was shot off, realizes that Stanley may have been involved.
The next day, Stanley sets up a more personal meet for Tina and the Mask at a local park, prior to which he meets with psychologist, played by Ben Stein, who surmises that the mask may have some connections to Loki, the Norse God of Mischief (sorry Marvel fans, but no Tom Hiddleston here). Meanwhile, Dorian sets up a $50,000 bounty on the Mask ,which tempts a number of criminals, as well as reporter Peggy Brandt, who isn't making much money at the newspaper any more. At the park, Stanley and Tina really hit it off, but after turning back into the Mask, begins to act more lustfully, which is off-putting at first, but Tina eventually goes for it. Sadly, their fun is interrupted by Kellaway, his partner Doyle, and a number of other officers. After getting away from the park, the Mask finds himself surrounded by other officers, whom he leads in a musical performance of the Dezi Arnaz song "Cuban Pete," then promptly getting away. After being rescued by Peggy, Stanley is handed over to Dorian, who takes the mask for himself, becoming a monster version of the Mask, using this new form, and his new abilities to kill Nico and take back his club. After getting out of jail, with the help of his dog Milo, Stanley (along with Kellaway) heads for the club to get the mask back and rescue Tina from Dorian, which leads to an epic bout where Stanley fends off Dorian's men, Milo wears the mask and messes with Dorian's men, and Stanley puts the mask back on, scaring off Dorian's men, devouring a bomb that was going to kill Tina, and cartoonishly flushes Dorian away. The next morning, Stanley throws the mask off of a bridge, and he and Tina kiss, ready to start a new life together, while both Milo and Charlie (Stanley's best friend that I mentioned before, albeit not by name) jump in the river fighting over the mask.
Despite the much darker nature of the original comics, The Mask is a complete comedy through and through. Jim Carrey, in his second big screen role after Ace Ventura, was absolutely hysterical as both Stanley and as the Mask. Cameron Diaz, in her breakout role, was stunningly gorgeous as Tina, and she was a lot of fun to watch. Many of the side characters, like Dorian, Kellaway, Doyle, and Charlie are a lot of fun, and the actors that played them, some of whom are sadly no longer with us, all did a great job. But the stand-out for a lot of us, outside of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, was the dog Milo. The dog was adorable, and when he put on the mask, the antics that were on display were pretty damn funny. All in all, director Chuck Russell delivered a comedy classic inspired by a comic book character, and in an era where comic book movies weren't the most popular form of media, that's really saying something. I loved The Mask when I first watched it on VHS, and I still love it to this day. So, I'm going to give it a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys tomorrow as we continue 90's Throwback Month here on Chuck's Movie Breakdown.
Loosely based on the comic book series of the same name by Dark Horse Comics, The Mask follows mild-mannered banker Stanley Ipkiss, who after a humiliating night of getting a piece of crap car to drive while his own is still being repaired, being kept from entering the newest night club in Edge City, the Coco Bongo, despite his best friend and co-worker gaining entrance, and having the car he was lent literally fall to pieces, returns home after finding an ancient looking wooden mask in the river. After watching a VHS tape of cartoons, appropriately titled Screwball Classics, Stanley tries the mask on, only to be transformed into a green-faced, all powerful being known as the Mask, who acts like a literal cartoon character. After a night that included frightening his landlady, scaring off some muggers, and attacking the two hicks that ran the auto shop his car was being fixed at, Stanley wakes up the next morning, free of the mask, and not remembering much of what happened the night before, even when questioned by police lieutenant Mitch Kellaway.
Meanwhile, career criminal and owner of the Coco Bongo, Dorian Tyrell, is making plans to rob the bank that Stanley works at in an effort to usurp local crime boss Nico. That evening, in which Stanley decides to use the Mask to woo Tina Carlyle, a singer at the Coco Bongo and client of his at the bank (and yes, there is a mutual attraction between both Stanley and Tina), and gets to the bank and takes the money before Dorian's men, led by a criminal named Freeze, are able to get the money. The Mask and Tina have a wild dance at the club to the song "Hey! Pachuco!", but their fun is interrupted by Dorian, who wants the money that was stolen from the bank. After a bit of sillines during a shoot-out with the Mask, the Mask head off and Kellaway arrives and arrests Dorian and his men, but upon seeing a piece of PJ's worn by Stanley, which turned into PJ's when a piece of the Mask's tie was shot off, realizes that Stanley may have been involved.
The next day, Stanley sets up a more personal meet for Tina and the Mask at a local park, prior to which he meets with psychologist, played by Ben Stein, who surmises that the mask may have some connections to Loki, the Norse God of Mischief (sorry Marvel fans, but no Tom Hiddleston here). Meanwhile, Dorian sets up a $50,000 bounty on the Mask ,which tempts a number of criminals, as well as reporter Peggy Brandt, who isn't making much money at the newspaper any more. At the park, Stanley and Tina really hit it off, but after turning back into the Mask, begins to act more lustfully, which is off-putting at first, but Tina eventually goes for it. Sadly, their fun is interrupted by Kellaway, his partner Doyle, and a number of other officers. After getting away from the park, the Mask finds himself surrounded by other officers, whom he leads in a musical performance of the Dezi Arnaz song "Cuban Pete," then promptly getting away. After being rescued by Peggy, Stanley is handed over to Dorian, who takes the mask for himself, becoming a monster version of the Mask, using this new form, and his new abilities to kill Nico and take back his club. After getting out of jail, with the help of his dog Milo, Stanley (along with Kellaway) heads for the club to get the mask back and rescue Tina from Dorian, which leads to an epic bout where Stanley fends off Dorian's men, Milo wears the mask and messes with Dorian's men, and Stanley puts the mask back on, scaring off Dorian's men, devouring a bomb that was going to kill Tina, and cartoonishly flushes Dorian away. The next morning, Stanley throws the mask off of a bridge, and he and Tina kiss, ready to start a new life together, while both Milo and Charlie (Stanley's best friend that I mentioned before, albeit not by name) jump in the river fighting over the mask.
Despite the much darker nature of the original comics, The Mask is a complete comedy through and through. Jim Carrey, in his second big screen role after Ace Ventura, was absolutely hysterical as both Stanley and as the Mask. Cameron Diaz, in her breakout role, was stunningly gorgeous as Tina, and she was a lot of fun to watch. Many of the side characters, like Dorian, Kellaway, Doyle, and Charlie are a lot of fun, and the actors that played them, some of whom are sadly no longer with us, all did a great job. But the stand-out for a lot of us, outside of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, was the dog Milo. The dog was adorable, and when he put on the mask, the antics that were on display were pretty damn funny. All in all, director Chuck Russell delivered a comedy classic inspired by a comic book character, and in an era where comic book movies weren't the most popular form of media, that's really saying something. I loved The Mask when I first watched it on VHS, and I still love it to this day. So, I'm going to give it a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys tomorrow as we continue 90's Throwback Month here on Chuck's Movie Breakdown.
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