Hey folks, Harry here with a review that again tells us the green paint on the red wall is indeed that. SON OF THE MASK has been maligned since that first dancing baby trailer hit. But calling this film a live action Tom & Jerry cartoon... well that could be just pure mindless fun. Then again - it could be terrible. We'll see. But this one is coming real soon - in fact I got the passes for a press screening of it today. Here ya go...
Hey Harry. I caught an early screening of SON OF THE MASK a bit ago and thought I'd give you and your readers a heads up since I have yet to see anyone else post a WARNING about this thing.
SON OF THE MASK continues in DUMB AND DUMBERER'S footsteps as another Jim Carreyless sequel to a Jim Carrey movie. This is the followup to 1994's THE MASK, a film I really enjoyed. I loved the comic book atmosphere blended with the perfect Jim Carrey role. Plus, at the time, the FX were somewhat groundbreaking. Seems a little late for the sequel.
Poor Jamie Kennedy steps in as the lead, a recently wed average joe who works mantinence at an animation studio. Between him and the no-name who plays his wife, there is now chemistry to speak of. I wouldn't be amazed to learn their scenes together were filmed at different times. With this and MALIBU'S MOST WANTED it seems Kennedy's career is over before it he got a chance to get off the ground. He was great in the SCREAM movies and his television show had its moments, but here he falls flat with just about every attempt. The plot follows Kennedy as his dog, OTIS (the dog in the original was MILO...Get it? MILO AND OTIS!!! That's about as clever as this thing gets.) as he discovers the magical wooden face piece which turns the average Kennedy into a hyper-set maniac who looks like the dad from those old Duracel battery commercials. Years later Kennedy and his wife have a kid who was conceived while Kennedy was wearing the mask. Now this is where it goes from bad to worse.
To those of you who complained that the kids in THE POLAR EXPRESS were creppy looking, you're going to have a field day with this CGI baby. The FX weren't completely finished but as I watched scenes involving the dog wearing the mask as he attempts to KILL the baby I could see every dollar put into this movie burning in front of my very eyes.
There is a subplot that involves Alan Cumming as LOKI, the God of Mischief, who is responsible for the mask, and a brief and wasted Bob Hoskins as his father. Neither Cummings nor Hoskins are funny or appealing. I actually started to feel bad for them as I know their talent far exceeds what is required from this tired screenplay. However, the most embarrassing scene comes when Kennedy tries to duplicate the dance number Carrey did in the first. From then on, everyone on screen seems to be rolling their eyes with us. Even Otis looks bored.
Whether you will entertained by SON OF THE MASK depends on how often you get out and how long your attention span can handle the same retired gag over and over again. Everything about it sort of reminded me of Mike Meyer's dud THE CAT IN THE HAT. An instance where EVERYTHING just goes wrong. The look and the idiocy are pretty even between the two. So if you enjoyed that one, by all means...
I'll sum up the entire experience by calling it a live action Tom and Jerry cartoon with less imagination and purpose for that matter.
The year has barely begun but my pick for worst film of 2005 will be a hard one to beat.
