The Jim Carrey smash hit VFX Comedy The Mask comes to 4K UHD thanks to Arrow Video.
The Film
Of the three films that Jim Carrey starred in during his historic run in 1994, The Mask is not only the best of the three but also holds up to the test of time. The timeless quality gives the thirty-year-old film a still fresh quality. Even if some of the Visual FXs are now more antiquated fun than cutting-edge.
Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a put upon bankteller who gets bullied by just about everyone in Edge City. A kind soul that loves Tex Avery and just wants to fall in love, the run of bad luck he’s having is about to change. Finding an ancient mask that holds the spirit of Loki. Ipkiss turns into his own Tex Avery Cartoon id as he puts on the mask. All of Stanley’s dreams and impulses come true, including romancing the girl of his dreams (Cameron Diaz). Too bad he’s come under the gaze of the dangerous gangster Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene). Can Stanley, not the mask, stand up to Tyrell and outwit the crime lord before he and the mask doom Edge City?
Director Chuck Russell’s ode to the musical romantic comedies of the 1940s is the kind of mashup of source material, star, and tech that rarely comes along. Russell’s pitch-perfect direction and earnest visual style give the film the right tone that makes it a perfect summer blockbuster of the mid-1990s. Whether it’s an action scene or a comedic visual set piece or the grandstand Cuban Pete musical number, there isn’t anything that Russell cannot find the perfect tone to fit his comedic juggernaut.
The Mask and its star are never lazy or settle for anything other than perfection. Yes, Carrey’s delivery of “sssssssssssmokin’!” is a bit of a cliché now, but it’s only one because of Carrey’s perfection of a line delivery. The star and ILM were simpatico at every move and tick, creating one of the best meldings of Live Action and CGI that would come along until Andy Serkis and WETA Digital would create Gollum. Though it isn’t just the grandstand moments that make The Mask such a delight. It’s Carrey as Stanley, the put-upon everyman that really makes the film shine. It’s no wonder that the actor would go on to do such revelatory work only four years later in The Truman Show. The saddest part is that Carrey really never got that Tom Hanks run of dramatic roles that The Mask hints at.
Though Carrey is only one-half of the smash success of The Mask. The other half is the star-making performance by Cameron Diaz. Diaz as Tina Carlyle is a 40s starlet with looks, attitude, song, and dance, just done with a modern 90s flair. Russell and cinematographer John R. Leonetti give her movie star lighting and moments. In fact, there isn’t a scene that Diaz doesn’t dazzle. Not just her looks, but her charisma just radiates off the screen. So much so that one cannot see anyone else that Stanley can end up with. There are many star-making performances of the 1990s, but few are as winning and dazzling as Cameron Diaz in this film.
The Mask is one of the truly great cinematic marvels of the 1990s, where technology, performers, direction, and story all lined up perfectly. In an age of mega blockbusters with zero personality, this thirty-year-old film stands above and beyond most everything.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by director Chuck Russell, presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), is an excellent example of the amazing work they are doing in the UHD realm. The image looks as good as the 35mm release prints on opening day. The transfer is sharp with beautiful, luminous blacks and contrast levels. The Dolby Vision encoding gives a warmth and pop to the film that was inspired by the Technicolor musicals and film noirs of the 1940s. Bravo to Arrow Video and their continued amazing and varied restoration work in upgrading titles to 4K UHD. The Mask may be one of the finest of 2025.
The Extras
They include the following;
- 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 Talk with Director Chuck Russell
- From Strip to Screen: Adapting the Comic into a Blockbuster
- Green Faces Blue Screens: The Visual Effects of The Mask
- Sssssssplicin’! Editing The Mask
- Ask Peggy: Any Yasbeck Tells All
- Toeing the Conga Line: Making The Mask Movie
- Terriermania: The Mask and America’s Obsession with the Jack Russell Terrier
- Archival featurettes: Return to Edge City, Introducing Cameron Diaz, Cartoon Logic, On-set interviews, What Makes Fido Run, The Making of
- Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by director Chuck Russell
- B-Roll Footage
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
The first of two archival audio commentary tracks with director Chuck Russell. Russell begins with the excised opening scene with Vikings. Some of the details from the track include borrowing the water tank from the TV showBaywatch; the casting of Jim Carrey and Russell’s wanting to work with him for years; the navigating scheduling with his work on In Living Color; the importance of the introduction shot of Cameron Diaz; the development process and the original intent to be a horror franchise ala Nightmare on Elm Street; the casting of the dog and the importance of the role of Milo; a discussion of the various VFX and CGI work done by the various department heads and how it was a collaboration between ILM, Carrey, and himself and the inspirations they took in the visual performance; the casting of both Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; a larger discussion of the various locations, both real and sets that they used; a larger discussion of the various behind-the-scenes crew members that helped produce the film; and much more. Note the track was recorded in 1994, so there are some anecdotes that do not carry the weight and relevance they do now, thirty-plus years later.
The second archival audio commentary track with 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 participants are recorded separately and edited together in the non-screen-specific track. The commentary goes into detail on every aspect from each participant’s perspective on how The Mask came to be optioned, developed, and produced the film from all aspects, from pre-production, production, and the heavy post-production process.
The Man Behind the Mask: A Talk with Director Chuck Russell (20:27) – this all-new interview with Chuck Russell opens with the fact that he came from Comedy and how Harold Ramis was a mentor of his, even having produced Back to School. Russell goes on to discuss that his directing features were originally Horror films (e.g., Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3), changing The Mask from a horror project to an outright comedy; the style of the film, which he aimed to be timeless, combining the 40s and 60s; the development process; some of the real life experiences that informed The Mask; the inspiration the film took from Jerry Lewis’ films; the work of Peter Greene, Peter Riegert, and the other supporting actors; the musical and dance component of the film – including the center piece of the film The Cuban Pete number; the collaboration with star Jim Carrey, makeup FX designer Greg Cannom, and ILM with both the makeup and VFX; the lower budget of the film and the cost cutting methods they do; the premiere at Cannes Film Festival; and much more.
From Strip to Screen: Adapting the Comic into a Blockbuster (18:33) – is an all-new interview with creator/producer Mike Richardson, screenwriters Mike Werb, and Mark Verheiden, begins with The Mask’s origins in a Zine before Richardson and Verheiden began Dark Horse Comics. The trio goes on to discuss the purchasing of the property by New Line; the initial development as a horror film; their development by Verheiden as a comedy; where the Cuban Pete dance number came from; how Werb was brought on to rewrite Verheiden – the work he did during the development process; the various casting what if’s before Jim Carrey was cast; how much they wrote for Carrey and his specific strengths; and much more.
Green Faces Blue Screens: The Visual Effects of The Mask (14:16) – is an all-new interview with visual effects supervisor Scott Squires begins with a discussion of the typical process and approach to Visual effects in films. Squires goes on to discuss his background in various disciplines that eventually got him a job with Douglas Trumbull during Close Encounters of the Third Kind; the various projects he did after Close Encounters before eventually taking on The Mask; what he specifically did on the production, and the various people he worked with; working with Jim Carrey; and much more.
Sssssssplicin’! Editing The Mask (6:51) – is an all-new interview with editor Arthur Coburn, begins with his work prior to beginning his work with editors like Walter Murch. Coburn goes on to discuss how he was hired to do The Mask; the unique nature of the project at the time, because it was at the advent of digital effects; his being on set; the conditions during the post-production; the actual post-production process, and how this was before non-linear editing and how they solved difficult structural decisions; and much more.
Ask Peggy: Any Yasbeck Tells All (12:37) – is an all-new interview with actor Amy Yasbeck, begins with her 1994 and how she was cast in The Mask. Yasbeck goes on to discuss the audition process; a story about interrupting Chuck Russell; her initial thoughts on the script; some great anecdotes about her husband, the late John Ritter, reading the script; working with Peter Riegert; working with Jim Carrey; and much more.
Toeing the Conga Line: Making The Mask Movie (10:09) – is an all-new interview with choreographer Jerry Evans featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage. Evans begins with a discussion of how he was hired for the film and the collaboration during the production with Chuck Russell. The choreographer discusses how he got his title credit sequence credit; how he worked with Carrey and Diaz respectively, working towards their strengths; a breakdown of how they created the dance numbers, including the Cuban Pete center piece, and all of the issues they encountered; and much more.
Terriermania: The Mask and America’s Obsession with the Jack Russell Terrier (10:18) – is an all-new video essay by critic Elizabeth Purchell. Purchell dissects how the “cute pet” fad went from TV Series to Movies and how the premiere of Frasier solidified the Jack Russell terrier’s place in America; the history of the Jack Russell Terrier; the other movies in 1994 that featured the breed; how the popularity of the breed translated to many families getting them but not understanding how strong-willed they are and the fall out ensuing; and much more. Written, narrated, and edited by Elizabeth Purchell and produced by Gillian Wallace Horvat.
Archival featurettes – the six featurettes from the original DVD release can be accessed through a submenu.
- Return to Edge City (27:18) – an in-depth look into the original darkly comedic, violent original comic book, New Line’s involvement (looking for more of a horror film), the hiring of Chuck Russell, the adaptation/development process, the influence of animator Tex Avery on the film’s adaptation, and the casting of Jim Carrey.
- The Making Of (3:11) – a brief EPK-style making-of.
- Interview Bites (4:38) – EPK interviews taken on the set of actors Cameron Diaz, Peter Greene, Richard Jeni, Jim Carrey, Peter Riegert, and director Chuck Russell.
- Introducing Cameron Diaz (13:19) – a look into the casting of Cameron Diaz – including the video audition footage. Featuring interviews from director Chuck Russell, casting directors Fern Champion, and Mark Paladini.
- Cartoon Logic (13:44) – a more in-depth look into the VFX work and the inspiration the crew took from the work of animator Tex Avery. This is maybe one of the best featurettes from the archival featurettes as it really dives into the development process, showing some of the tests and temp footage from the production.
- What Makes Fido Run (10:52) – a look at the training of the dog who played Milo in the film.
Deleted scenes – two scenes that can be accessed from a submenu with the option to listen to a commentary by director Chuck Russell.
- Viking Scene (1:50)
- The Death of Peggy (2:05)
B-Roll (5:24) – the footage is presented without commentary from two scenes: the Cuban Pete dance number and the Mask meets Tina.
Theatrical trailer (1:59)
Image galleries – divided into two submenus.
- On-Set Production Photos – the gallery consists of a staggering 411 photos from the production, including great behind-the-scenes shots of the blue-screen work used to achieve the film’s VFX.
- Still Gallery – the gallery consists of 16 promotional stills used in poster art and advertisements.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has provided a beautiful restoration and stacked edition for The Mask. Highest possible recommendations!!