The Mask (1994) User Reviews (375)

A Fine comedy treat

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 22 January 2007]

Carrey is on top mad-cap form in the Mask, he plays Stanley Ipkiss, a boring Mr. nice guy with a longing for more excitement and success in his life. When he finds a relic of an ancient mask, he gets slightly more than he could have dreamt of; he becomes a cartoonish superhero and at last he can live out his desires; or not!

This film also introduced the very beautiful Cameron Diaz, and what man can forget her first screen appearance as she breezes in to the bank in all her splendour.

Hilariously funny, cracking special effects and a thoroughly entertaining story, the Mask is a winner people, and it's an absolute must-see for everyone who likes a bit of Jim Carrey madness.

7/10

Ignore the 6.9 this movie is SMOKIN'!

[doruksesli · 8/10 · 27 December 2019]

I was in shock when I saw the rating of this movie was a 6.9 when it clearly deserves to be at least a 9!!!!! Overall this is a great comedy and is enjoyable ( also great fun for the whole family ), definitely worth a watch!

Somebody stop that Jim!

[DarthBill · 8/10 · 13 February 2004]

This was the movie that got me into Jim Carrey (though I'd seen him on "In Living Color" a couple of times), and it's still my favorite, though Ace Ventura #1 was also kind of funny.

The great thing about this film is that Jim is actually really restrained all throughout, only going into goof ball mode when he puts on the Mask. He's pretty likable and engaging here, not quite as prone to irritating some audience members like he did in "Batman Forever" and "Ace Ventura #2". Cameron Diaz... my God, she looked SO GOOD here, how have her looks faded so quickly since this film? She looks so... plastic now, kind of like a giant Barbie doll.

One of the big standout scenes in this one is Jim singing "Cuban Pete" to escape all the cops. Not that the other Mask gags are unfunny, but Cuban Pete really stands out. Too bad the cartoon Mask didn't have a little more restraint to it.

one of Carrey's best

[Special-K88 · 15 April 2002]

Broad, inventive comedy stars Carrey as a repressed, down-on-his-luck banker whose once uneventful life is dramatically changed when he uncovers a mysterious ancient mask that brings out his innermost desires. After developing a close bond and gradual affection for a sexy songbird and prospective client (Diaz), he then tangles with her ruthless, lowlife goon of a boyfriend (Greene). Lively, imaginative comedy with big laughs and nifty effects that almost make you feel like you're watching a live-action cartoon. The violence borders on extreme, but Carrey is in peak form and provides more than enough classic moments to make up for it. A must for Carrey fans. ***

S-s-s-s-mokin'!

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 23 December 2002]

Jim Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, a "zero" as the film tagline says, who never speaks his mind about anything. The typical mild-mannered guy.

After Stanley finds an enchanted mask under a bridge one day, though, everything changes. He goes from "zero to hero". But first, he plays around with his new found menacing powers.

Calling the mask a hero is like calling Hitler kind of a good guy. The mask makes Stanley rob banks, scare people and more. He's half-hero.

"The Mask" is not great, but it fits Carrey's film persona quite well. He bounces off the wall (literally) and just doesn't sit still. Typical Carrey.

If you're not one for loser-to-hero films or wacky slapstick, don't see "The Mask". Otherwise, it's worth a peek.

3/5 stars

Still funny

[tomfsloan · 7/10 · 14 September 2018]

It's years later, and it's still funny. Stupid but funny. Entertaining and stupid, but still funny. This isn't concidered a musical, but it has great musical numbers.

Jim Carrey at his slapstick best

[Ruskington · 6/10 · 10 April 2020]

On the face of it (sorry, couldn't resist), The Mask is a fairly awful movie. The story is ridiculous and the acting, by and large, is quite atrocious. It's essentially a cartoon with real-life humans superimposed onto it. However, thanks to the sheer brilliance of Jim Carrey, it's actually quite enjoyable. Carrey doesn't just provide huge comedy value with his hilarious slapstick antics as The Mask, he also plays the tepid Stanley Ipkiss delicately and with great restraint. His adorable sidekick Milo is a showstopper and really adds to the feelgood factor.

And has there ever been a more perfectly beautiful woman than Cameron Diaz in this movie? The teenage version of me that first watched this in the 90s would probably say no.

As long as you aren't expecting anything more than a screwball comedy with an over-the-top storyline and pantomime acting, I would highly recommend The Mask. It's goofy and flamboyant and Carrey is brilliant. It drags on a little too long and the bad guys get a bit tiresome but it's still a very entertaining watch.

"The Mask" is, and forever will be, SMOKIN'!

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 19 September 2005]

"The Mask" was the movie that introduced my family to Jim Carrey. And we all thought that it was great. Carrey plays unlucky bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss, who one night finds an ancient mask. When he puts it on, he turns into sort of a cartoon character; think Roger Rabbit on acid. The really great thing about the movie is that they just turn Carrey loose. Anything that you can imagine him doing, he does here. A particularly funny scene is when the police tell him to freeze, you'd better believe that he freezes! All in all, Jim Carrey's humor will never get old. He may have given his all-time funniest performance in "The Mask".

Decent, but not as good as I remembered

[chucknorrisfacts · 6/10 · 18 December 2010]

Have you ever watched a movie when you were a little kid and thought it was awesome and then watched that same movie as adult and thought it wasn't as good as you remembered it being? Well, that's exactly how I felt about "The Mask." I watched it recently after having not seen it in probably ten years or better. I was expecting to like it just as much as I remembered, but I didn't. I was pretty disappointed in that fact. I mean, I guess the movie is OK, it's still watchable, but it just leaves a little something to be desired.

Jim Carrey is likable enough in his role, and he is entertaining to watch, but the movie just seems a little silly, and not necessarily in a good way. I'd recommend watching it only if you're wanting a mindless little distraction from the burdens of everyday life. If you're looking to find anything of substance here, you're probably going to find this to be a letdown.

I'd compare this movie to what it felt like watching episodes of the old 1960s Batman TV show as an adult. When you're a kid, you don't realize how cheesy or stupid it really is, but when you're an adult, it's just impossible to overlook.

Incredible success when seen as a surrealistic cinematic pastiche

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 22 February 2005]

Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a bit of a dorky pushover. For example, he buys hot concert tickets to try to get a date with a fellow bank employee he's been pining after, but she easily scams him into keeping the tickets for herself, and he is too weak to publicly object. But when he comes across an ancient mask of Lodi long ago discarded by Vikings who tried to bury the "troublesome object" at the "end of the Earth", he discovers it has the power to unlock his true self--suave, smooth-talking, manic, a bit dangerous, and a hopeless romantic.

The Mask was a perfect vehicle for Jim Carrey. It not only allowed provided the perfect justification to flamboyantly engage in his rubber-faced antics in a manner even more over-the-top than what he'd become famous for, but it provided an opportunity to stretch his acting chops towards a more serious side at just the right time in his career, paving the way for later work such as Man on the Moon (1999), The Majestic (2001) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

The success of the film wholly depends on Carrey, as he has to sell his characters' frenzied insanity so that it's believable as a reflection of Stanley's inner self while at the same time likable but teetering on the edge of becoming obnoxiously overbearing. Of course, the amazing special effects and make-up help, as well as the clever script and more than competent directing and cinematography, but with the wrong actor in the part, the whole affair could have easily collapsed. The other cast members are fine in supporting roles, with Cameron Diaz coming across as being almost otherworldly beautiful, but Carrey is rarely off-screen, and rightly so.

The Mask is notable for both spoofing almost the whole history of cinema while at the same time respectfully paying homage to it. The audience is treated to everything from silent film slapstick to lavish musical numbers (with excellent songs), frenzied Tex Avery-styled animation to gangster film suspense. On its surface, the film is a crazy, often funny, hyperactively paced cinematic pastiche.

The subtext about identity and public faces versus private selves is interesting, but not the focus. It would be fine to explore further, but to do so in this particular film would have taken too much time away from Carrey's surrealistic tour de force. Besides, we've had later films where that subtext has been closer to the heart of a story, such as Catwoman (2004), and where it was very thoroughly and competently dealt with.

Many aspects of The Mask differed from the comic book source material, but this is a case where the changes led to such an excellent result that most people have forgotten about the source material and primarily remember Carrey's performance in this film as definitive.

One of Jim Carrey's Better Comedies

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 17 March 2009]

Combining Jim Carrey with a bunch of giddy special effects seems like a redundancy, since Carrey himself IS a special effect. But that's just what this film does, with mostly entertaining results.

Carrey plays a nerd who finds a mask that transforms him into a superhero when he wears it. Cue lots of intentionally cartoonish effects reminiscent of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"

The film features an early role for Cameron Diaz as a love interest for Carrey.

The film was Academy Award nominated for its visual effects, but it lost the award to the much subtler and more impressive effects of "Forrest Gump."

Grade: B

This movie is a scream!!!

[Atreyu_II · 9/10 · 7 July 2007]

If you ask me, 'The Mask' is Jim Carrey's best work ever. It's his best movie and the only one of him I find really great. It's not a movie without its faults, but it's original, imaginative, creative and has very good comical gags. It's a classic. Or, to use only one word to describe it: "Smokin!"

Jim Carrey can be two things: either a really funny comedian either a comedian who does his job well but overacts, although no one can deny that there is a genius inside this man. In 'The Mask' he is awesome. I consider this one of his best actings of all time, if not his very best.

In 'The Mask' Jim Carrey portrays Stanley Ipkiss, a clerk in a nice Edge City bank. He is a very nice and easy-going guy with great sense of humor (which matches his funny name). He is «the nicest guy», yet shy and somewhat depressed and he does not have much success in his job and personal life. He doesn't have much friends, except for his co-worker Charlie and his loyal dog Milo (a Jack Russell Terrier). Stanley likes to watch cartoons (particularly a Tex Avery one with a whistling wolf), decorates his apartment with items from these cartoons and he has the most unusual pajama :)

Jim Carrey also portrays the title character (The Mask), which is the other side of Stanley Ipkiss... or at least what he wants to be but can't be without the mask. The mask gives him superpowers and courage to do things he wouldn't be able to do without it. For example, he can dance like Fred Astaire, Gumby and Barishnikov (all together) - and he can flirt with the gorgeous Tina Carlyle. The Mask is a cartoonish figure that can do incredible things.

This film is a crazy comedy, a film that surpasses the limits of imagination. Yet, despite its cartoonish humor, it also works well as a thriller and has a dark atmosphere. At the same time, this movie is clearly inspired (in many ways) on several cartoons, such as the Looney Tunes, Tex Avery's 'Red Hot Riding Hood' and even the live action/animation movie 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'. The movie also has great sceneries and backgrounds, as well as great lines, nice special effects and its magic.

Cameron Diaz in this movie... my goodness! Is there any guy who wouldn't fall in love with her in this film? She was really a stunning beauty in this film. She was absolutely at her hottest and most sensual here: she was more curvy, sexier, so beautiful and her smile was even more enchanting. Her role as the gorgeous and loving Tina Carlyle was a great acting debut for her. Plus, she was great in this role. In fact, she was a better actress in her early acting years than in more recent years. And she got slimmer with time.

Cameron Diaz also sings very well in this film, with a husky, jazz-like voice. What a difference comparing to 'My Best Friend's Wedding', where she sings terribly. She was 21 years old in 'The Mask' but she surely looked older than that. She is really like a live-action version of Jessica Rabbit in this film.

Other funny characters (along with Stanley Ipkiss) are Charlie Schumacher, Milo, Detective Doyle and the impatient Lt. Mitch Kellaway.

Most of the soundtrack is great: the opening theme and other instrumental themes during the movie and even the cheerful songs "Hey Pachuco" and "Cuban Pete" - this last one is sung by Jim Carrey himself in a hilarious part where he (as The Mask) dances and makes the policemen dance either. It really makes one wanna dance.

Most actors are pretty good in their roles: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Ben Stein, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, Nancy Fish, Jim Doughan and Max.

Max is the name of the dog that portrays Milo. The intelligence of that dog deserves to be mentioned. This breed of dog is known for its intelligence and loyalty, but also for being lovable, playful and stubborn dogs. Milo is all of that. Plus, Milo seems to understand everything they tell him. When his master is giving him orders, he moves his head as if he is understanding every word that is said. Plus, he climbs a considerably tall wall to rescue Stanley and we can see in his eyes when he is feeling fear, joy and sadness, for example. What a fabulous dog actor!

The loaner... what a piece of junk! That car makes its own scenes hilarious! Why? Simply because of what it is: a charger in a junkyard.

Jim Carrey makes this movie as good as it is. I believe that this movie couldn't possibly be this good without the great Jim Carrey. This role was made for him and couldn't be played by other than him.

This should definitely be on Top 250.

Great special effects and often extremely funny, but it's an unpleasant story.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 15 April 2022]

Obviously influenced by "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" with its focus on wacky animated special effects, this film has many flaws that keeps that far from being perfect. The script is filled with lame, often ridiculously juvenile dialog that is infuriating to listen to, especially by obnoxious cop Peter Riegert who seems fixated on Jim Carrey's ugly pajamas. Carrey is your typical loser with a dead-end career, a girlfriend who psychologically abuses him (who is in one scene to manipulate tickets to a concert away from him and never seen again), and auto mechanics who want to read Pam off. A very funny scene has his car completely falling apart as he crosses a bridge, and diving into the river when he sees what he thinks is someone jumping in, he discovers the mask. Putting it on out of curiosity, he turns into the green faced, wise cracking character who fortunately does not dominate the rest of the time, only appearing here and there, and aided only by the creative elements of the film in avoid incomplete annoyance when he's on.

The female allure is provided by Cameron Diaz who first shows up at Carey's bank to open up an account while actually filming the goings-on with her purse. She's the moll of a mobster (Peter Greene) who also wants to get his hand on the mask, and when he briefly does, he's like the Green Goblin from the Spider-Man movies. Amy Yazbeck is an ambitious reporter determined to unmask the mask, and Nancy Fish is Carry's obnoxious landlady obsessed with noise issues in the building who gets the shock of her life when she opens the door to Carrey in full green regalia. But the scene is stolen by Carry's adorable Jack Russell dog who also end up briefly in the mask, even doing a Mutley laugh. Diaz has a musical number which is meant to spoof a cartoon sequence seen early in the film, and there's also a big production number on the street that Carrey in the mask manipulates. I'm certainly hoping that no one ever does this as a stage musical. This was a big smash hit when it came out, and it's definitely worth seeing, but I'm certainly glad that there were never any sequels.

A No for me

[kirch-sarah · 5/10 · 24 December 2020]

Well as a Carrey fan, I must say I didn't laugh for one time during this movie. It was way to over the top for me.

The Mask

[0U · 5 February 2020]

Extremely fun, fast-paced and colorful, The Mask is a movie with a good direction by Chuck Russell, a script very well adapted by Mike Werb, a beautiful story by Michael Fallon, great visual effects and excellent performances by Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz. Plus, it's one of Carrey's best movies and one of the best comedy movies of all time

Fantastic fun with incredible visuals.

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 4 October 2020]

The film that propelled Jim Carrey to super-stardom, and rightfully so. Carrey is incredible in 'The Mask', and the film might not have worked so well without him in the lead. His dog, Milo, is also adorable!

'The Mask' is so slapstick and stupid, yet incredibly entertaining - and funny! The film pays tribute to Looney Tunes cartoons, and actually plays like a live action cartoon. The film boasts incredible visuals not seen before at the time, and still holds so well by today's standard. The sound effects are also very effective. The Club scene is truly awesome - not to mention that famous dance scene! The Cuban Pete scene is so much fun. (Jim Carrey actually performed the song himself, and the song peaked at No. 31 on the Official Charts).

If you're looking for lighthearted fun with loads of action, humor and jaw-dropping visuals, 'The Mask' is the perfect choice.

Good movie

[djfrost-46786 · 6/10 · 13 December 2018]

This movie was so big back then. The lines people used out and bout. To the cartoon that The Mask gave birth to. One of Jim's best movies. He tends to like that unnatural super hero movies.

Smokey!!!!!!!!! 7/10

[saadanathan · 7/10 · 20 February 2021]

"The Mask" is one of Carry's classic films and most remarkable ones. This is the kind of movies where Jim Carry can let all his humor and comedy burst out like a parade. His portrayal both as Stanley Ipkiss and The Mask are hilarious and compelling. At one point his a complete loser during the plot and afterwards he receives this huge confidence by using the mask. It's a good conflict between two personalities of one character. Every scene with Carry as the figure of the mask is wild and funny as hell. Just shows you his such a talented person. The only thing I may have against the film is that it is another origin film of how a regular person becomes a hero. Many origin films have been made and many of them either by Marvel or DC. So it would have been nice to have a different plot going on the movie instead of the same origin story. Overall it is a fun movie to watch.

One of the greatest comedies I have ever seen

[mareksir · 10/10 · 26 August 2005]

Actually, I saw The Mask by accident. I wet to the cinema with my friend to watch something. When we arrived at the cinema and saw the poster showing The Mask we did not feel like watching it. But as it was a long way home we decided to go and see the film. And we enjoyed the movie so much that we decided to go to see it next day again. The first time we watched it we did not catch everything as our eyes were flooded with tears of laugh and our bellies hurt form laugh cramps. The story is really catching and Jim Carry is simply fabulous. The plot makes you think what it would be like if you had the mask and what you would do with it. Stanley Ippkiss in his funny quest made me be happy with what I am and what I have. The Mask is undoubtedly one of my most favorite comedies and it has a steady place on my video shelf.

P. A. R. T. Y?

[reddiemurf81 · 7/10 · 7 August 2021]

Stanley Ipkis works at a bank, lives in an apartment with his dog Milo, likes cartoons, and has 0 luck with the ladies. One day he finds an odd Mask and decides to put it on. The Mask changes Stanley into a cartoonish, confident wild man that always wins no matter the situation.

If you haven't seen this before,, where ya been? Lol.

Awesome!

[TheMan3051 · 10/10 · 11 November 2002]

This is easily Jim Carrey's greatest picture! Not only that but in my opinion this was one of the funniest films of the `90s. This is such a fun movie that you can see it 10 times and it's still as fun as the first time. The film stars Jim Carrey in another amazing performance and the BEAUTIFUL Cameron Diaz in her debut.

Also this is kind of like the Rocky Horror Picture Show of my generation. I remember Halloween 1995 when my friends and I dressed up as the characters from this movie and did the Cuban Beat! :)

4(****)out of 4(****)stars

An ENTERTAINING MASTERPIECE!!!!

P A R T whY... cus I gotta!

[bignuts-06245 · 7/10 · 15 November 2023]

The talented Jim Carrey, Peter Greene & the stunning Cameron Diaz star in this classic comedy about a very ordinary guy stuck in a boring job who comes across what he thinks is a dead body that turns out to be an ancient mask apparently made by the Norse god of mischief, Loki, which gives the wearer special powers & seems to bring the wearers true character to life. When the guy puts on the mask it turns him into a hilarious, loveable, mischievous & fun green rogue who tries to romance a beautiful young woman who's fella is a major figure in the organised crime world & when the guy wearing the mask robs a bank & foils the plans of the organised crime fella's group who get the blame it then puts them & the guy with the mask on a collision course. It's almost 30 years old now so you should've already watched it but if you haven't then do so, it's a classic!

It made me read the comics

[saghy122 · 8/10 · 2 May 2019]

The Mask is a character you will never forget, and Jim Carrey was perfect for the role. It's simply one of the best movies based on comic books, I don't understand why did it get such a low score. It's also one of the best comedies of the 90s, you just can't go wrong with it.

Still smokin' after all these years

[sme_no_densetsu · 7/10 · 25 May 2008]

Years ago this was one of my favorite comedies but when I rewatched it recently I was prepared to find that it hadn't stood the test of time. Happily, I was proved wrong.

In case you don't know, the premise of this film is that 'Mr. Nice Guy' Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) happens upon a magical mask that transforms the wearer into a reflection of their innermost desires. In Ipkiss's case it changes him from a unassertive, hopeless romantic into a love-crazed wildman. The story wasn't exactly going to win any awards but it is a great showcase for some inventive comedy.

Probably the reason why this movie still entertains me is because of the sheer cartoonishness of The Mask's mannerisms. Carrey is perfectly suited to mimic the sort of exaggerated physical comedy that you'd usually see in animated shorts of a bygone era. Then there's ILM to fill in the blanks with some pretty nifty special effects.

This was also the introduction of Cameron Diaz, who was indeed smokin' at the time. She's charming and has pretty good chemistry with Carrey. The supporting cast is better than you might expect, with Peter Greene great as the menacing Dorian Tyrell, Peter Riegert surprisingly ideal as Lt. Kellaway and even a typically understated appearance by Ben Stein.

The direction is nothing to write home about but there are a few musical numbers that have a cool, jazzy flavour to them. Like the physical comedy, they're like something out of a bygone era, and all the more welcome for that.

So, there you have it; a film that's good for a few chuckles. Underrated and certainly one of Carrey's best comedic performances.

Utterly pointless

[KnightsofNi11 · 4/10 · 28 October 2011]

Jim Carrey is widely known for a select few movies that he did in the mid to late 90's, along with a couple in the early 2000's. The Mask is one of the most well known of these films. Carrey stars as Stanley Ipkiss, a lowly bank clerk who stumbles upon a mysterious mask that turns him into a maniacal green faced nutcase who has the ability to do anything. The first thing he uses this mask for is to rob a bank, which sets off a whole series of events involving a ruthless band of gangsters and a beautiful night club singer named Tina Carlyle, played by Cameron Diaz in her very first feature film.

Now, despite this being a well known Jim Carrey film, it's also a very bad film. This is where physical humor blows up in your face and becomes unbearably moronic and not funny in the slightest. I honestly feel sorry for the talented and actually funny Jim Carrey for being subjected to such idiocracy in this film. He can't even save the overall pathetic attempts at comedy. The jokes and physical humor in this movie range from absolutely atrocious to almost worth a chuckle, but the latter is far and few between. The majority of this film is just dull and lifeless dribble that wants to be funny but can't find the right chords to stroke. It misses the mark again and again as it becomes more ridiculous and stupid as the film goes on. Needless to say, about ten minutes into the film I couldn't wait for it to end.

The problem with a film like this is that it knows its all about the comedy. It only seeks to deliver funny jokes and entertaining gags, rather than a deep and intellectual storyline and skillfully woven character development. The Mask obviously has neither of the aforementioned things, but it doesn't have the funny to replace them. The only way to really put it is that this is just not a funny movie. It isn't even painful to watch bad, it's just so dull, so lifeless, and so sloppily made and poorly constructed that I can't think anything of it.

I don't want to give the impression that I possess a searing hatred for The Mask, I only want it to be known that it is just not a good film and not something worth watching. It's a waste of an hour and forty minutes, not because it is the worst movie ever made, but because it is so underwhelming and so forgettable that you accomplish absolutely nothing by watching it. There are plenty of other Jim Carrey movies worth checking out before you waste your time with The Mask.