Son of the Mask (2005)

Funny Movie.

This is a very funny movie, my kids love it. I would have liked to have known it came from a 'smoking' home since my son has allergies. June 25, 2008

I've seen far, far worse.

Just a few quick points in response to the overwhelming negative reaction to Son of the Mask.

1) No, it isn't as good as the original. Then again, it doesn't even try to be the original.

2) The only movie worse than Dumb and Dumberer is The Howling II, so enough with the comparisons. At least this film had the visual acumen to pull off a terrific running gag about the kid and the dog going at one another, in essence creating a sensational live action Loony Tunes scenario. In fact, the visuals throughout this movie were superb. I don't mind a reliance on eye candy if the film in question is clearly designed to rely on eye candy. Such was the case here. Dumb and Dumberer is just..well....Dumb and Dumberer. 'Nuff said.

3) To paraphrase Roger Ebert's movie glossary term "The Harry Dean Stanton rule"- which states that any movie with Harry Dean Stanton in it can't be all bad - no film with Alan Cumming in it is all bad. In fact, Cumming is the highlight of this film. Aside from the dog, his Loki was the funniest character in the movie, with Cumming turning in a lively, well-timed performance. This compensated for the admittedly lackluster performance by Kennedy.

4) There might have been a time when I felt ashamed of admitting my continued support of such a universally panned film, but that was before the inexplicable success of Napoleon Dynamite- a mostly theoretical comedy with nary a single genuine laugh to it's credit which, somehow, the art house fanatics catapulted to mainstream success.I kid you not, I didn't know if I wanted to drive a sledgehammer though my television screen or commit suicide while watching Napoleon Dynamite. The presumed humor in that film isn't dry- it's arid. Yet the masses gorged themselves at it's trough. If having "taste" means sitting through miserable films like that, I'll stick to my "tasteless" Tex Avery inspired lunacy, thanks. At least Son of the Mask made me laugh for most of it's running time. No, I'm not really a fan of pee jokes nor slapstick -unless I'm well aware going into a film that it contians all of them. Then I can set my brain in neutral and just enjoy. I even enjoyed the message about family (though it was laid on thick).

Bottom line: Son of the Mask is a live action cartoon, folks, not Shakespeare. Try not to read too much into it and you may just get a kick out of it. Not a masterpiece and definitely inferior to the original, but genuinely funny at times and visually a joy to watch. December 21, 2007

Need a 1 1/2 hour babysitter while you cook or clean?

This is what this movie is for me! I have a 4 and 5 year old who saw this movie on the Cartoon Network and they thought it was hilarious! I thought it was the stupidest thing I have ever seen! I have the DVD "The Mask" and enjoyed it with my children because we LOVE movies with Jim Carey. So, I thought that this sequel could be some-what funny because of the theme and that the cast includes a baby with the power of the "mask". Again, this movie is ridiculously DUMB and I wanted to erase the memory from my brain, however, my children kept asking when it will come on the television again! So, I caved in and bought a used VHS of this film! As soon as my children get tired of it, I am going to use it to record television shows! September 5, 2007

solid stuff

Alright, let me explain why I love Son of the Mask: if you watch the movie JUST for the special effects, I think you will find yourself really into it, and your opinions will go up.

As for the storyline and character development and all that stuff... well, there's really not a whole lot of it. In fact, hardly none. If there's any development going on, it's just BARELY there. It's the type of comedy that's really far-fetched, but I honestly believe the special effects save the thing. I've never EVER seen so many "totally out there" effects in all my life. As you can imagine, the pacing is pretty fast too.

Most of the focus is on the little baby, who really cracks me up with all the exaggerated special effects they gave him. The same can be said for the family dog. It's just like watching a cartoon, only it's NOT a cartoon!

The effects are EXTRAORDINARY! Not to mention NONSTOP. You're watching one crazy effect right after another- quite fascinating to watch them and it's quite easy to get sucked in to this fantasy land of infinite possibilities.

Don't worry about the characters you see on screen, or anything like that. Just watch the special effects. May 29, 2007

Guilty Pleasure and Silly Fun !

We tripped over this movie and had never watched it before because of the torrent of bad reviews. We were pleasantly surprised at how good it was!
This will never win an Oscar but it is extremely silly, has non-stop action and a kinda nice sappy theme about family unity and a father's love. Add the recognition that even a DOG can become jealous of a new baby and the extra attention they receive, and there is room here for some family discussion/connecting about these important topics. As a side note, I used this movie with a mask making activity with some very bored high school seniors at the end of the school year and we had a grand time. Little bit of potty humor--but overall a keeper! May 9, 2007

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