Son of the Mask

[Lucy!]

My first job as a newcomer to my school newspaper: Review the then premering movie Son of the Mask . Here goes my review, as printed in the February 15 edition:

You hear rumors circulating that a sequel to a highly popular movie is in the works. You cross your fingers in the hopes that its decent enough to live up to the original’s legacy. When you finally see it splattered on the wide screen, you feel personally insulted at how weak the producers think your intelligence is and cringe. This is how terribly offensive Son of the Mask is to moviegoers and to the developed human mind.

Not to say that children aren’t developed, but they are much more receptive to fantastical, slapstick brands of entertainment. Actually that’s not necessarily true since most adults indulge in complex video games or watching intricately plotted movies...Simply put, Son of the Mask provides a primitive level of intellectual input in dialogue, makes up for it in clichéd, lackluster cartoon scenes and is tediously predictable.

Contrary to what trailers throw at you, Kennedy’s Tim Avery isn‘t so physically involved with the mask. Avery‘s son, Alvey who is supposed to be the star of the movie, carries the powers of the mask since his conception occurred the night Tim wears it for the first time. The computerized version of Alvey being genially powerful is barely comical, perhaps because I personally tend to lose interest in seeing a baby doing things that resemble an overly done cartoon. What really exasperated me and even killed a few of my brain cells were the ridiculous scenes where Alvey and Avery’s jealous dog (who wears the mask in order to eliminate Alvey and regain his throne in the Avery household) try to do away with each other by resorting to classic techniques involving pianos and cranes. This all occurs while the exhausted Avery lies unconscious after realizing he has a superhuman son. The only adult in the theater who found this funny kept me from otherwise turning into a vegetable with her howls of laughter at every unoriginal turn.

Alan Cummings, the angst-ridden villain, Loki, provides some amusing psychological tension; I mean the guy really has some major father issues and inferiority complexes. I can attest to the fact that all the young ones in attendance found Loki’s quarrels with his father, Odin, the almighty God of Norse legend (so blandly played by Bob Hoskins) comical. Prepubescent children can relate to that eerie combination of rebelling against parents while trying to delight them at the same time (and who are we kidding, we can relate to that too). Loki just wants to destroy the mask to restore peace in the universe and please his father. We lose sight of this when we see Loki dressed in typical villainesque attire and being a brat, but he’s not much of a threat since he’s ultimately a good guy whose willing to do anything to get rid of the mask and be accepted by Daddy. This is the crucial element of any child film, the lack of real danger while fulfilling the need to be frightened.

Its a family-oriented movie so its foundation is already weaker than its forefather; it can’t have that semi-saucy undertone that made The Mask a hit. What really debilitates the movie is Jim Carrey’s absence. Lets be real- Jim Carrey is the Mask. None other can take over without being scrutinized. Not that Jamie Kennedy didn’t make an earnest effort; this is the first time I’ve seen Kennedy in such a flattering light. Avery is humble, sweet and inexperienced, making him the most likable character on screen. There’s something genuinely believable about Avery and even more credible is his fear of being a parent, which is colorfully portrayed when he offers his idea of childbirth.

This movie is aimed at kids and this is what I still linger on as I regurgitate some of the tiresome scenes I endured. Essentially, I’m a kid at heart and I must say that I found all the color extremely pleasing for its vibrancy and spotlessness. Its also a clean movie that treats sexuality well and the humor is wholesome.

However, the only good parts in the movie are when Avery actually takes care of Alvey, while his wife Tonya is away on business, revealing the realistic and exasperating task of juggling work and parenthood.

A random question I feel compelled to ask: Am I supposed to believe Kal Penn, who plays Avery’s best friend, Jorge, is Hispanic when he has an Indian accent?

Most will experience mental sedation when encountering themselves with this film, but its a feel-good film for kids. Just ask the four-year-old who sat next to me willing to hold his visit to the bathroom to see Avery square off with Loki in the drawn-out battle scene.