Plot: What’s it about?
Loki (Alan Cumming) was the son of Odin, but his love of mischief and chaos caused him to be somewhat of an outcast. He would cause trouble not only in his own realm, that of the gods, but also in the world of the mortals. His infamous Mask of Loki stirred up more chaos than any of his other ideas however, as whoever wore the mask would be granted Loki’s own powers. Now however, Loki must find the mask and return it to Odin, or else risk losing his place with the gods. But the mask is causing trouble on its own, as aspiring animation artist Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) has discovered. While wearing the mask, Avery engaged with his wife and the result was a baby, one with “special” powers. When Loki learns of this, he wants not only the mask, but also the baby, though Avery will do whatever it takes to protect his family.
The original The Mask was a wild, over the top comic romp, which showcased Jim Carrey’s madcap comedic skills and some cutting edge (at the time) special effects. Not a great movie, but a fun one and one that knew what it wanted to be. Son of the Mask on the other hand, is wild and over the top, but falls flat on its face and never even gets out of neutral. Carrey is replaced by the mediocre Jamie Kennedy, who flounders and never gets his balance in the performance. The special effects are low grade, overused, and even shameful at times, as if the filmmakers slapped in cheap visual tricks to mask (no pun intended) the poor writing. I didn’t have high hopes for this movie, but even my low expectations weren’t fulfilled. Son of the Mask is simply a bad movie, no doubt about it. This could have been a fun, over the top picture just like The Mask, but instead, we have a dull, unfunny film with tons of bad special effects.
Video: How does it look?
Son of the Mask is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As you’d expect from New Line, the image looks very good and presents no serious problems. The print is in great condition and free from defects, which is to be expected since the film went from theaters to disc in the same year, 2005. The contrast is even handed and never becomes too dark, which means detail is never obscured in the least. No errors surface in terms of color either, as the hues remains vivid and flesh tones look natural also. I knew this would be another great transfer from New Line and of course, I was right in that assumption.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track won’t disappoint, but this material isn’t that powerful, so don’t expect too much. The main surround presence comes from the musical soundtrack and a few audio intensive scenes, mostly the ones where the mask is worn. The atmosphere is active when it needs to be, but that it isn’t often and as such, the front channels handle most of the burden. This is how it should be however, as the film is dialogue driven and the vocals are well presented, with no real issues to report. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary is up first, as star Jamie Kennedy is joined by the director and other members of the production staff. The production team tries to shill the merits of the films, both technical and creative, but find themselves interrupted by Kennedy’s wisecracks. As much as I wanted his remarks to be funny, he is off his game in the sessions and only makes a bad track even worse. A host of deleted scenes can be also be viewed, as well as two featurettes on canine lifestyles and one that focuses on the film’s special effects. This disc also includes production artwork, storyboards, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
