The Mask - Arrow Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is just like you or me: he’s forever in love with being in love, with a life just out of reach. And it’s not for a lack of trying, but a lack of confidence. He doesn’t believe in himself. People take advantage of his kind nature, but all of that is about to change when he finds the mask of the trickster god Loki. When he puts it on, it transforms him into a new entity capable of magical powers known as The Mask!

The mask of Loki manifests its powers based on the wearer. Stanley is a fan of cartoons, so his abilities tend toward that. He can leap out of a tall building’s window and SPLAT! on the ground below, then peel himself up, thin as a piece of paper, and shake it off, ready for the next effect gag. He can pull cartoon sledgehammers out of thin air. He can turn into a tornado. But, most of all, he’s a prankster and jokester, always able to best the folks who are after him, whether it’s the cops or the criminals. All he has to do is wow them with a show-stopping song-and-dance number like “Cuban Pete”.

Of course, there is a plot, of sorts, in the movie, involving gangsters and a gorgeous woman (Cameron Diaz, in her screen debut) as an object of The Mask’s affection, and he must defeat the gangsters in order to save her and win her heart. Things get complicated when the mask falls into the wrong hands, and evil men now have the powers that Ipkiss once had. Stanley must learn how to have the confidence he has as The Mask, as himself. It’s a classical story arc: The man who realizes the real power comes within himself if he just believes in himself.

So, is The Mask a great movie? God, no, but it’s a hell of an entertaining one. The story and its beats are unabashedly corny, and much of the aesthetic (and Diaz’s singing number) is borrowed from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But Chuck Russell’s direction and Jim Carrey’s performance are the film’s key ingredients. These two believe in the picture, and they sell it with everything they’ve got, and it soars where it needs to: The special effects are spectacular, and Jim Carrey is as funny here as he’s ever been, in a role that I can’t believe wasn’t tailor-made for him.

1994 was the year of Jim Carrey. That year saw the release of Ace Ventura, Dumb & Dumber, and The Mask, all within 12 months, and they’re all winners. Thankfully, I was a kid when all of these movies came out, because I loved them all, but if I were an adult with kids of my own, I probably would have gotten real sick of him, real quick. But who knows? My first exposure to The Mask was through my dad, who loved himself a stupid, silly comedy if it worked. My mom managed the small-town video store, and she and my dad were watching some movie together while my siblings and I played in another room. I heard my dad, through the walls of the house, call out, “Kids! Get in here quick! You gotta see this!” And it was one of those “coming attraction” previews they’d have on VHS tapes before the feature film. It was the trailer for The Mask. I thought, Wow, this looks amazing. And my dad said, “We gotta see this thing when it comes out.”

When it did come out, and we all saw it together, we all loved it. Though it softens the edge of the comic book series it’s based on, it’s a kind of magical movie that’s so impressed with its own spectacle and invention, it’s contagious. It’s hard not to watch The Mask without a big, stupid grin on your face throughout. It’s part Tim Burton’s Batman, part Tex Avery cartoon all boiled down into pure joy.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Sssssssombody ssssstop me! The Mask comes to 4K UHD Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video in a single-disc release with a reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options. Inside the case is an illustrated collector's booklet featuring an essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, plus a double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artwork options, and six postcard-sized reproduction artcards.

While The Mask is reminiscent of a lot of different films, cartoons, and eras, it maintains its own unique aesthetic. With its Art Deco inspired set design and brightly-lit cartoon-styled colors, it’s truly a sight to behold in Arrow Video’s new transfer, sourced from the film’s original 35mm camera negative. While the computer-generated special effects certainly look dated today, they hold up remarkably well. If they look a little less than convincing, that’s okay, because it suits the film’s overall look, which is that of a Tex Avery cartoon come to life. John R. Leonetti’s cinematography is crisp and sleek, but has a healthy amount of organic film grain throughout the presentation. The Dolby Vision HDR grading really benefits The Mask, allowing those colors in the costuming, effects, sets, and lighting to pop vibrantly, while nighttime sequences are cloaked in a deep, inky black. The Mask has never looked better on home video.

Viewers have the option between three audio mixes: An LPCM 2.0 stereo mix, a 5.1 surround mix encoded in DTS-HD MA, and a new Dolby Atmos mix. I don’t tend to favor a Dolby Atmos mix, unless it really adds something new. There are times when a good old-fashioned 5.1 mix will do. But, damned if Arrow’s new Atmos mix doesn’t deliver the goods. I gave all three options a listen, and they’re all excellent for different reasons: The stereo mix is perfect for viewers who may not have a surround system, or they’re relying on their TV speakers. The 5.1 mix packs a punch in its bass delivery through LFEs, and surround speaker activity is frequent, in terms of ambient effects, musical score, and zany sound effects in the film’s louder moments. The Atmos mix expands upon the 5.1 mix. It feels fuller, more robust, and more balanced. Through its inclusion of height speakers, the film creates a dome of sound, both subtle and bombastic, depending on the sequence. While all three mixes are terrific in their own way, the Atmos mix is a five-star, demo-worthy masterpiece.

Arrow has gone all out on its assembly of special features, including a huge roster of legacy features, along with new ones commissioned for this release. There are hours and hours of features to make your way through on this disc.

New Features

• The Man Behind the Mask (HD 20:27) - Newly filmed interview with Chuck Russell
• From Strip to Screen (HD 18:33)- Newly filmed interview with Mike Richardson, Mike Werb and Mark Verheiden
• Green Faces Blue Screens (HD 14:16) - Newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Scott Squires
• Sssssssplicin'! (HD 6:51) - Newly filmed interview with editor Arthur Coburn
• Ask Peggy (HD 12:27) - Newly filmed interview with actor Amy Yasbeck
• Toeing the Conga Line (HD 10:09) - Newly filmed interview with choreographer Jerry Evans featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage
• Terriermania (HD 10:18) - A new video essay by critic Elizabeth Purchell on canine sidekick Milo

Archival Features

• Audio Commentary - Chuck Russell
• Audio Commentary - Chuck Russell, New Line co-chairman Bob Shaye, screenwriter Mike Werb, executive producer Mike Richardson, producer Bob Engelman, ILM VFX supervisor Scott Squires, animation supervisor Tom Bertino and cinematographer John R. Leonetti
• Return to Edge City (SD 27:18)
• Introducing Cameron Diaz (SD 13:19)
• Cartoon Logic (SD 13:44)
• What Makes Fido Run (SD 10:52)
• The Making Of (SD 3:11)
• On-Set Interview Bites (SD 4:38) - With the cast and director and B-Roll footage
• Deleted Scenes (SD 3:55) - With optional commentary by director Chuck Russell
• B-Roll (SD 5:24)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Image Gallery

The Mask is a more family-friendly take on the comic book series from which it’s based, made into a starring vehicle for the slapstick antics of Jim Carrey. Laugh-out-loud funny and boasting incredible (for its time) special effects, the plot is kind of flimsy and derivative, but who cares? It scores where it matters, and at the end of the day, it’s a good time, with genuine laughs and eye-popping (sometimes literally) special effects. Arrow’s release has a lovely video presentation, sourced from its original negative, and a brand-new Dolby Atmos mix that is a work of art, along with hours and hours of special features, both old and new. The Mask is Highly Recommended.