Son of the Mask

Somebody stop this!: Special effects Mask this unnecessary sequel

By Mike Prevatt

And you thought The Whole Ten Yards was an unnecessary sequel. Ten years after the lucrative, comic book-like fantasy The Mask was released, New Line Cinema emerges with a sequel that begs the question: Why now?

It's anyone's guess how this belated, estimated $100-million-plus project--directed by Lawrence Guterman (Cats & Dogs)--came to be, considering the movie's target demographic was in diapers when its predecessor was released, and the original's stars, Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, refused to sign on. So filmmakers heavily relied on hyperactive, state-of-the-art computer animation instead. Throw in warring babies and dogs, and several gross-out bodily function gags, and you've got a potential kiddie hit.

Jamie Kennedy is Tim Avery, a cartoonist who becomes a father sooner than he'd prefer, to a son born with superpowers thanks to the magical mask of Loki Tim wore during conception. However, Loki (Alan Cumming), the Norse god of mischief, is searching high and low for his beloved possession. Avery must to protect his son from the sinister Loki, but his neglected dog has squirreled away the mask for himself.

Depending on your perspective, Son of the Mask is either about a man afraid to grow up, or how a baby and a dog fight for that man's attention. But there's such a strong undercurrent of family values running throughout the film--especially during the sappy conclusion--one might wonder if Son was bankrolled by some morals-obsessed, right-wing millionaire.

To make matters worse, Kennedy lacks the facial elasticity and charisma of Carrey, who will forever own that role, and Cumming has done the villain thing better in projects like Spy Kids. Surely the two actors were paid handsomely for their efforts, and, really, when it comes down to it, Son of the Mask is only about money. Make sure to save yours.