Movies

The Mask: Jim Carrey’s ’90s Gem Makes a Surprising Comeback on Prime Video!

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In the 1990s, Jim Carrey was a formidable presence in comedy. The decade saw some of his most memorable comedic performances, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, The Cable Guy (a comedic take), Liar Liar, along with more dramatic roles like The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. Amid these films, Carrey also appeared in two film adaptations of comic books. His most renowned was Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, where he played The Riddler. However, Carrey also starred in an adaptation of a less famous comic book – The Mask – and it has recently experienced a resurgence on streaming platforms.

Right now, “The Mask” is available for streaming on Prime Video and it’s currently the 10th most watched movie of the week. Viola Davis’ “G20” remains in the number one spot, while “Conclave,” given the recent demise of Pope Francis, moved up to second place. “The Accountant” holds third position before its sequel hits theaters. Directed by Chuck Russell, who also worked on “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Mask” was initially released in 1994. In addition to Jim Carrey, the film featured a young Cameron Diaz, along with Peter Riegert and Peter Greene.

The Movie Known as ‘The Mask’ derives inspiration from a comic book series sharing the same title, produced by Mike Richardson, and published by Dark Horse Comics. In this film, Jim Carrey portrays Stanley Ipkiss, a timid bank employee living with his pet dog. Upon finding a peculiar green wooden mask, Ipkiss undergoes a transformation into a boisterous, green-faced “superhero.” This alter ego assists him in pursuing his long-time love interest Tina (Diaz). The Mask showcases the exceptional comedic talents of Jim Carrey, as he pushes his humor, facial expressions, and physicality to their maximum potential through the powers granted by The Mask. This results in one of Carrey’s most hilarious and undervalued ’90s comedies.

‘The Mask’ Comic Book Is Far Darker

If you’ve watched “The Mask” film, you might have assumed it originated from a comic book due to its eccentric powers portrayed. However, Mike Richardson’s comic series is significantly darker and quite distinct from the movie. In the comics, Stanley Ipkiss is not unique in becoming The Mask; instead, each individual who dons the mask ends up eliminating the previous wearer. Contrastingly, the 1994 movie centered solely on Jim Carrey’s character, Ipkiss, and his experiences as The Mask, diverging greatly from the minor role he played in the comics.

Contrarily, though Stanley was the star of the film adaptation, the comic book series “The Mask” took a completely different turn. In contrast to the movie’s portrayal, the comics depicted Ipkiss’ version of The Mask as an extremely violent character who mercilessly eliminated all his adversaries. However, this wasn’t the only bloodshed caused by The Mask. Over the course of the first four issues, Ipkiss embarked on numerous homicidal rampages as The Mask, eventually attempting to escape the city before meeting his demise. Despite the intrigue of seeing Jim Carrey portray a comic-book accurate version of “The Mask”, we’re grateful that the narrative was transformed into the hilarious comedy that has continued to captivate audiences till today.

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2025-04-25 17:02

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