Son of the Mask

February 5, 2005

Rated: PG Runtime: 86 min Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Son of the Mask is silly, stupid, great for kids and chicks… and despite it all, I really enjoyed it. It took over a week after seeing this movie before I could make myself write the review, just in case I had been under the influence of some mysterious drug that made me like kids movies, but alas, in the end I had a really good time and am awarding it 4 stars.

Son of the Mask We all remember the first Mask, a Jim Carrey vehicle that let us all see just how funny he could be in a physical comedy. Well, this time the adult filling Mr. Carrey’s shoes is Jamie Kennedy and I’m afraid he just doesn’t compare well in this role. It seems to me that the director knew this going into the project and got around this problem by giving him very little screen time in “mask mode.” No, the real stars this time around are the baby (when in mask mode) and the dog (in all modes.)

The basic story is that the dog finds the Mask of Loki, which his owner Tim Avery (Kennedy) ends up wearing to a costume party for the animation company he works for, makes a great impression on the boss, promotion, can’t find the mask for more inspiration, etc. etc. etc. Meanwhile, Loki (Alan Cumming) is in the process of hunting the mask down to return to his father in order to avoid banishment. So Tim and Loki are both looking for the mask, which (and I’m not spoiling anything here) is in the dogs possession.

Back to the dog. I may end up buying this DVD when it comes out just to watch a few key scenes with this critter as he plots against the baby. Oh? Didn’t I mention that? The dog is a bit jealous of the new family member and in true Road Runner fashion comes up with some wonderfully elaborate plans to help the child meet his demise. Classic entertainment, seriously.

I believe the key to enjoying this movie will be to 1) pick a time with the fewest possible children in it and 2) put yourself in the frame of mind that you are watching a cartoon. With both of those things done, I bet you laugh your backside off when watching this.

Posted by John | Filed Under 4 Stars, Alan Cumming, Ben Stein, Bob Hoskins, Comedy, Jamie Kennedy, PG, Theatrical, Traylor Howard