Few actors can claim to evoke belly-deep laughter as Jim Carrey (JC) does. Fewer still can claim to keep the audience engrossed and involved solely with the interminable range of expressions. JC is a born comedy actor as proved by his enjoyable antics in “Dumb and Dumber”, “Liar, Liar” or “The Truman Show”.
“The Mask” was released in 1995 and may apparently seem repetitive in terms of its plot. It’s a tried and tested theme of an ordinary man being endowed with extra-ordinary powers that enable him to become something akin to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What, however sets this movie apart (discounting JC) are the eye-popping (literally) special effects, a light and breezy plot and the ever charming Ms. Cameron Diaz in her debut role.
The Mask?
Yes, the mask. Stanley Ipkiss is a bank teller, docile and good-natured by disposition. He’s one of those guys we always see in daily lives, the kinds who don’t lift a finger to protect themselves when confronted, the kinds who are unaccustomed to defending themselves even when they know they’re right.
And so it is that everyone around seems to take more than a passing advantage out of our poor banker. As he ventures out with his terrier, Milo for a nocturnal walk, he espies a floating body in the river nearby. When he pulls it to shore, it’s nothing but a collection of garbage but contains a strange, green coloured mask. He takes it home out of curiosity and gives it to his dog to play with. That’s when the fun begins!
The mask has strange powers and has the ability to bring out a person’s innate, repressed feelings and thoughts. When JC puts it on, he’s instantly transformed into a bizarre creature with a green face, a zooty looking yellow suit with plenty of attitude. The outcome is the combination of a part super hero and part cartoon character. With that comes the realization that he can do anything that he thinks or dreams of.
JC then sets about freaking out in life and playing the fool with everyone around him. A series of incidents then take pace, none of which is connected to the other even by a thousand light years. One thus finds him being cornered by a bunch of nincompoop cops one minute and the very next minute, he breaks out into a song and dance sequence on the road with all the people (including the cops) joining in. The cops take him to be an eerie creature causing alarm to the people of the city and are on a hot pursuit. To add more spice to the tale, there are also a bunch of equally incompetent crooks (who can’t tell green colour from red!) hell-bent on taking away the magical mask for their own selfish and sub-legal purposes.
JC apart, it’s the special effects that carry the movie forward. The transformation in personality that takes place when JC puts on the mask has to be seen to be believed. It’s imagination at its very best. Ipkiss is a terminal romantic and that makes him a virtual song and dance machine whenever he puts on the mask. The icing on the cake is the scene when JC spots Tina Carlyle (Diaz, as a stunning bombshell) in a night-club. His eyes pop out of their sockets, his heart flies out of his body and he begins drooling over her with a tongue that stretches out with the elasticity of a chameleon’s. The ending (not climax, remember this is not an action thriller) is a non-stop laugh riot with JC reserving his best to deliver a killer punch.
Cheeky bolta hai…
Chuck Russell (the director) does a fine job in whipping up a breezy movie that’s a pleasure to watch, especially with kids in tow. The movie is infectiously hilarious for a major part but tends to lose the attention of the viewer because of the needless sub plots thrown in. rest assured, there’s never a dull moment whenever JC appears on the screen, be it as the bumbling Ipkiss or his more entertaining alter-ego. He’s blessed with naturally resilient facial features and spews out an abundance of unadulterated energy. Any other actor in this role and the movie wouldn’t have been half as enjoyable as it eventually turned out to be.
The rest of the cast is more like background props - they’re present but at are unnoticeable and avoidable. Diaz makes her presence felt as JC’s girl friend but the cutest character in the movie is undoubtedly JC’s dog, Milo. The Special Effects (by George Lucas’s outfit, Industrial Light & Magic) are simply excellent and enhance the visual appeal of the movie. Do watch out for the beautifully choreographed song and dance sequences picturised on JC. Not only is he an excellent actor but a surprisingly lithe dancer too.
A movie for all ages and apt for all times. That was Jim Carrey at his best!