Superhero movies aren’t really a genre, or at least they blend evenly into other genres without issue. Most superhero movies are action films, but everything from coming-of-age romance to psychological horror has entered the conversation with the massive entertainment empires. However, straight comedy films led by superheroes are rare and good ones are almost unheard of. There’s only one great example, and it’s stillThe Mask.
Jim Carrey could do no wrong in 1994. After a multi-year stint onIn Living Color, Carrey starred in three massive hits in the same year.Ace Ventura,Dumb and Dumber,andThe Maskdropped within the same 12 months, perfectly establishing Carrey as one of the biggest movie stars of the era.
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Doug Mahnke and John Arcudi created The Maskfor Dark Horse Comicsas a minor character who would eventually grow to mainstream popularity. The story follows those who find a magical green mask that grants limitless reality-altering power at the cost of their sanity. The comic was dark and ultraviolent, led by a mishmash of existing characters with cartoon superpowers and a complete lack of morals. In 1989, the folks at Dark Horse approached New Line Cinema to make a movie out ofThe Mask. That journey took dozens of different forms and stalled in development hell for years. Over the years, director Chuck Russell and screenwriter Mike Werb settled on a loose adaptation of the story. Rather than amean-spirited anti-hero, their Mask would be a mischievous superhero, and they had the perfect star to bring him to life.
90s comedy icons like Rick Moranis, Martin Short, and even Robin Williams were suggested for the role before Chuck Russell found a young up-and-comer performing at The Comedy Store. Between his standup and his appearances onIn Living Color, Jim Carrey swiftly became the favored choice for the role of Stanley Ipkiss. It is, in many ways, the role he was born to play. Peoplediscuss Hugh Jackman’s Wolverineor Christopher Reeves' Superman as perfect portrayals of comic book superheroes, but Jim Carrey’s Mask deserves a place in that discussion. The character is fundamentally different in his tone and presentation, but Carrey still nails the role. His comedic timing, classic rubber face style, and complete commitment to every bit make him unstoppable. He’s the opposite of a secret weapon, but there is more to the film than just a great performance.
The Mask, the film, the comic, and the character, follow the logic of a cartoon. Boiling down the original comics to their trace elements, they’re basically an exploration of how cartoon physics work in the real world.It’s likeThe Boysfor Bugs Bunny. While juxtaposing the idea of cartoon surreality with blood and violence is a lot of the humor in the comic, the film ditches that concept.The Maskis more family-oriented, but it still completely understands the visual language of cartoons. In the comics, The Mask’s animated superpowers affect the world around him almost exclusively by reducing them to gore and ashes. The film allows the mask to change everything, creating hilarious visual gags and large-scale set pieces that would be impossible in the comics.
There is one clear competitor when looking at similar films.Deadpooland its sequelalso feature flawless superhero casting, tons of great gags, a superhero who excels at physical comedy, and a ton of great gags. The films have a lot in common, but their differences stand out as well.Deadpoolisn’t a pretender toThe Mask’s throne, it’s a great comedy with a completely different objective.Deadpoolcame out in a world that’s already buried in the Marvel Cinematic Universe craze. Superhero movies weren’t the biggest thing in entertainment whenThe Maskcame out, but they were all-consuming in 2016.Deadpoolis a parody, a deconstruction, and a superhero movie.The Maskis a comedy film that happens to star a superhero. ThoughThe Mask’s goal sounds like a simple one, it’s far rarer than it seems.Deadpool, The Boys, and evenKick-Assare jokes at the expense of the genre, whileThe Maskis a new entry.
The Maskis a masterclass in adaptation, casting, and comedy. The film stands as a classic comedy in a small genre. It almost feels closer to something likeWho Framed Roger Rabbit? than to something likeShazam!The film was so influential that it changed superhero cinema for decades, catapulted its stars to new heights, and brought swing music back. It’s so powerful, it managed to make people forgetSon of the Mask, which is perhaps the worst sequel ever made. For his part,Jim Carrey has onlytangentially tangled with the world of superhero films since starring in this classic. He’s a complicated performer, but this might be the role that best utilized his early talents.The Maskis a classic for a reason, and it’ll be a standout in its genre no matter how many newcomers try their hand at superhero comedy.
