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Son of the Mask By David DiCerto Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- An ancient artifact makes for modern-day mayhem in the daffy but disappointingly derivative comedy "Son of the Mask" (New Line). In this go-round Jim Carrey passes the baton, along with the mischief-making mask, to Jamie Kennedy, but unfortunately much of the fun is lost in the handoff. As with the original, "Son" incorporates eye-popping animation into its live-action story, but apart from the reality-bending relic this sort-of-sequel has little to do with the 1994 movie. In the new film, Kennedy plays Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist whose more successful wife, Tonya (Traylor Howard), begins to pressure the responsibility-phobic Tim to start a family. But everything changes when fate -- with a little help from Tim's Jack Russell terrier, Otis (the best thing about the film) -- delivers the magic mask, which transforms its wearer into a grimacing, green-skinned demigod. The normally shy Tim dons the mask at his company's Halloween bash, and instantly becomes the life of the party, a one-man whirlwind of song and dance. In no time, Tim has his own animated-series in the works and Tonya is pregnant. She gives birth to baby boy Alvey. Little does Tim suspect that his new bundle of joy possesses the mask's spectacular powers. Complicating matters further, Loki, the Norse god of mischief (Alan Cumming), who crafted the mask, is sent to earth by his disapproving Zeus-like father, Odin (Bob Hoskins), to search for and retrieve the mask before it wreaks further havoc. Kennedy is affable enough as the callow man-child but he lacks Carrey's comic dexterity and manic panache. As with the original, "Son" is visually dynamic, and, even more so than its predecessor, echoes the slapstick lunacy of classic Warner Bros.' cartoons, especially a madcap game of one-upmanship between Alvey and Otis. (In fact, the naming of Kennedy's character was obviously a tribute to legendary Warner Bros.' cartoonist Tex Avery.) But where the 1994 film made story and character secondary to gimmicky special effects, the new movie bypasses them altogether in favor of dazzling funhouse tricks. In trying to craft a more family-friendly movie, director Lawrence Guterman has reined in much (but not all) of the first film's sexual innuendo. However, "Son of the Mask" contains some material that seems unnecessary in a "PG" film, including several gross-out sight gags. Still, the movie imparts a welcome pro-family message about the importance of parenting that makes much of its puerility somewhat more palatable. Early on, Tim is deflated when his boss tells him an idea he pitched "lacks spark." And so, we're afraid, does this film. The film contains recurring comic and cartoon violence, some crude and sexually suggestive humor, an instance of fleeting partial rear nudity, as well as minimal crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. - - - DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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