The Mask - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Mask



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Smooooooooooooooookin!

1994 was Jim Carrey’s year. Before that, he was only really known for In Living Color and a bit part in Clint Eastwood’s The Dead Pool (we’re leaving out Earth Girls are Easy, cuz NO ONE wants to be reminded of that film), but 1994 was the year that he basically became an overnight superstar. A one-two punch of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask had him on everyone’s radar as his slapstick comedy was allowed to shine on the big screen. Then, at the end of the year, he somehow squeezed in Dumb and Dumber, and by that time period, he was basically the IT comedian for the next decade.

While Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was so over the top that it bordered on insanity, The Mask was his more fine-tuned blockbuster that allowed his madcap nature to take front and center, but also showed him as a more versatile human being as well (unlike Ace Ventura, where he was basically a caricature the whole film). Adapted from the Dark Horse comic series with the same name, The Mask is basically a comic book/cartoon come to life on the big screen, with the over-the-top character of “The Mask” allowing Carrey to indulge in his madcap machinations while dual-playing the straight-laced hero of the film, Stanley Ipkis.

Stanley is a low-level bank employee whose only real problem is that he’s sort of a simp (to use Gen Z vernacular) who gets walked over by all the women in his life. He’s a bit of a hopeless romantic who hopes his charms will net him SOMEONE, but his feeble attempts at being suave and sophisticated usually end up with him getting ignored or used as a doormat. But when he finds a mask floating out in the San Francisco Bay, his entire life turns upside down. Turns out the mask is a relic of Norse mythology, and imbues (or possesses) the person who puts it on with the power of Loki, unlocking incredible powers as well as the wearer's most hidden desires.

In the case of Stanley Ipkis, it releases a love-hungry maniac who will do anything for attention. Unfortunately, that attention not only draws the eyes of the police, but also that of local mobster Dorian (Peter Greene), who wants to use the mask to knock off his boss Niko (Orestes Matacena) and take over the city. Not to mention the smoking hot Tina (Cameron Diaz), who falls head over heels for the mask, making it that much harder for Stanley to try and win her over the old-fashioned way.

As I said above, The Mask is a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon come to life, just with Jim Carrey using his In Living Color comedy skills to make it happen. I used to love this film to the point that it almost became a problem. I think I wore out my 1997 VHS tape over the years, cracked my DVD collector’s edition from overplaying it (I think my record was 15 times in one year?), and by the time I got the Blu-ray over a decade ago, I was burnt out. I remember watching it when I first got the disc and turning it off halfway through the film, only revisiting the film when I got this 4K UHD from Arrow. And honestly, I’m kind of glad it’s been that long, as it was really refreshing to watch the mania for the first time since my early 30s.

Despite some loopy early 90s CGI (which ironically it got nominated for an Academy Award for), The Mask looks amazing and is a fun bit of 90s comedy that kick-started Jim Carrey to become the superstar that he is today. It’s probably my second favorite comedy of his (1st place will always go to Liar Liar), and Cameron Diaz was an absolute dreamboat as the Jessica Rabbit stand-in, Tina. It may be a little dated with some of the jokes, but it still has more than enough legs on it to still be relevant today, including the feel-good “guy gets the girl of his dreams by being himself” message. It’s silly, fun, and simply pure escapist comedy that is really needed in these post-COVID doldrums of no comedy that we live in today.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for some stylized violence




4K Video: Video:

As usual, Arrow provides us with some fairly detailed information on how the remaster for this went about, with Warner’s MPI handling the 4K scan of the OCN and Duplitech handling the color grading for everything. And it looks like that paid off in spades, cuz The Mask is a 5/5 star stunner from beginning to end. This is the very epitome of a 90s film, complete with sepia tones all around, some mild red push in facial tones, and some dodgy CGI for the Mask himself. But all things considered, it still looks absolutely amazing in motion. Fine details are superb, ranging from the dodgy CGI, all the way up to the stitching on The Mask’s banana yellow suit. Black levels maintain strong clarity even in the dark and grungy jail cell that Stanley finds himself in, and the HDR/Dolby Vision grading is SUPERB. The crazy colors and wild shenanigans of the Mask makes for great HDR usage, with rich greens, insanely bright yellows, and amazing black levels. Sadly, I don’t have the new Arrow Blu-ray to compare against, but this is a night-and-day transfer compared to the Warner Blu-ray. Simply superb all the way around.







Audio:

Boom chicky boom, boom chicky boom, chicky boom.

Kind of like Disney and Sony, Arrow pulled a little treat out for the 4K UHD disc that apparently is not on the Blu-ray disc they released at the same time. The Blu-ray disc features a 5.1 DTS-HD MA track along with a 2.0 downmixed track in LPCM, and while the 4K UHD disc has those same two audio tracks, it also has a brand new Atmos track that is the belle of the ball here. Rich, vibrant, and powerful, the Atmos track is deft on its feet and full of excitement due to the chaotic nature of The Mask. The rumba sounds of Cuban Pete light up the entire sound stage, as does the jazz dance mix where The Mask dances the night away with Tina. And that finale. Wowza, the final confrontation with Dorian in the Bongo Room is to die for. Gunshots ripple with power and low-end authority, while the surrounds are wildly active with bullets whizzing all around. Dialog-centric scenes at the front end of the movie are appropriately subtle, but the minute Stanley puts on that mask, this gets wild in a VERY good way. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is very good, but it’s not nearly as nuanced are dynamic as the Atmos mix, making said Atmos track my preferred listening method. Honestly, I would have been fine with a 5.1 DTS-HD MA remix that Arrow provides, being how mediocre the Warner Bro’s 5.1 mix was on the aging Blu-ray, but the Atmos track is just the cherry on top.








Extras:

• Archive audio commentary with Chuck Russell
• Archive audio commentary with Chuck Russell, New Line co-chairman Bob Shaye, screenwriter Mike Werb, executive producer Mike Richardson, producer Bob Engelman, ILM VFX supervisor Scott Squires, animation supervisor Tom Bertino, and cinematographer John R. Leonetti
• The Man Behind the Mask, a newly filmed interview with Chuck Russell
• From Strip to Screen, a newly filmed interview with Mike Richardson, Mike Werb, and Mark Verheiden
• Green Faces Blue Screens, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Scott Squires
• Sssssssplicin'!, a newly filmed interview with editor Arthur Coburn
• Ask Peggy, a newly filmed interview with actor Amy Yasbeck
• Toeing the Conga Line, a newly filmed interview with choreographer Jerry Evans featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage
• Terriermania, a new video essay by critic Elizabeth Purchell on canine sidekick Milo
• Archival featurettes Return to Edge City, Introducing Cameron Diaz, Cartoon Logic, What Makes Fido Run, The Making Of, on-set interview bites with the cast and director, and B-Roll footage
• Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by director Chuck Russell
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and original production notes
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artwork options
• Six postcard-sized reproduction artcards

Final Score: ​

The Mask is an energy drainer for sure, but it’s like being exhausted after dancing the night away. Your sides hurt, you need a nap afterwards, but it was totally worth it. 31 years later, the film still has me laughing myself silly, and the upgrades done by Arrow are superb. The video is spot on perfect, and having not one, not two, but THREE lossless audio variants is a big treat. Not to mention the plethora of 5-star extras crammed on the disc, including new commentaries and interviews. This is a HIGHLY recommended disc for fans.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jim Carrey, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene
Directed by: Chuck Russell
Written by: Michael Fallon, Mark Verheiden, Mike Werb
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English LPCM 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Arrow
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 101 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: November 11th, 2025

Recommendation: Hilarious Watch

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[Mike Schramm]

I don't think I've seen this since '94 when I saw it in the theater. Sounds like it is time for a revisit!

 

[JStewart]

I don't think I've seen this since '94 when I saw it in the theater.

I’m pre-ordering for the atmos track for the music and dance numbers alone and without any thought of Cameron Diaz whatsoever… I swear.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

When I was just out of college and on my own, I spent so much time hanging out in home theater stores, just dreaming. For about a year and a half, this DVD was glued into every demo room DVD player on repeat.