Jim Carrey’s Classic Comedy The Mask Is Streaming for Free on Tubi

Back in the ‘90s, Jim Carrey ruled the roost when it came to comedy movies. Following his stint as a cast member on the sketch comedy series In Living Color from 1990 through 1994, he became a box office draw with movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, Batman Forever, The Cable Guy, and Liar Liar. His success continued into the 2000s with movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Yes Man.

This one particular movie, The Mask, however, was among his best in the ‘90s. A hilarious, comic book-inspired story with a beautiful message masked (pun intended) beneath the comedy, the film is now available to stream for free on Tubi.

What Is The Mask About?

The Mask is a superhero comedy based on the comic book series about Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey), a bank teller who lacks self-confidence. He’s often ridiculed by his co-workers and never believes he can “get the girl” despite being a hopeless romantic. One day, he meets Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful singer and girlfriend of Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene), a gangster planning to overthrow his boss Niko (Orestes Matacena). Dorian sends Tina to the bank to study its layout so he can move forward with his plans to rob it. Stanley is physically attracted to Tina, and it seems she has an affinity for him, too. But he can’t seem to muster up the courage to do anything about it.

After having a particularly awful day, Stanley looks over the harbor in despair when he sees what he believes to be a person drowning in the water. He rushes to help but discovers it’s just a pile of garbage. Hidden underneath is a wooden mask that Stanley decides to take home with him. When he puts it on, he magically transforms into a green-faced trickster in a zoot suit known as The Mask who can animate, even alter, both himself and his surroundings.

The Mask persona is like a cartoon come to life. But most importantly, he’s overly confident and charming. When he wears the mask, Stanley becomes a whole new person. He travels throughout the city in the most comical way, humiliating those who made fun of him and doing everything he doesn’t otherwise have the confidence to do. This includes making a move on Tina, who reciprocates.

Desperate to learn the origins of the mask, Stanley visits a psychiatrist who explains that it’s likely a creation of Loki and has powers that only come out at night. The doctor also believes that when someone dons the mask, what happens as a result is a reflection of their repressed desires. As Stanley continues to function as himself during the day and The Mask at night, he finds himself the subject of controversy. People are after him for the things he has done, but The Mask foils their attempts at every turn. With an expected happy ending, The Mask is one of those movies to watch again and again, and it gets funnier every time.

How The Mask Came Together

Initially meant to be a horror movie, The Mask was eventually turned into a more family-friendly romantic comedy. Interestingly, other actors like Rick Moranis, Martin Short, Robin Williams, Nicolas Cage, and Matthew Broderick were considered for the title role. But after seeing Carrey’s work in In Living Color, the creators loved his energy and expressive physicality. He was a perfect fit for the role and fans can’t imagine anyone else having played it with this comedic angle to the comic book story.

The movie relies on incredible visual effects through computer animation, but Carrey’s ability to contort his face and create cartoonish expressions made the job easier. Indeed, Director Chuck Russell told Chicago Tribune that the guys at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) said they figured he “saved about a million bucks once I got Jim, just on what he was able to do versus what we intended to do originally.”

Make-up was used to help bring out Carrey’s already exaggerated facial expressions, though the make-up still took hours each day of filming. The fake teeth he wore were supposed to be used only for scenes without dialogue, but Carrey was so fully committed to the character that he learned to talk while still wearing them. This made the character even more convincing as a kooky and wicked troublemaker.

The Message Behind The Mask

The Mask is a comedy, but it also has a deeper message about believing in oneself and having self-confidence. When Stanley wore the mask, he was still himself deep down. But the mask gave him the confidence to do things he would never otherwise have had the courage to do. Or so he thought.

The movie also explores how people present themselves in favorable lights versus showing their true selves. Stanley is a quiet, meek man who doesn’t express his feelings. He’s also a hopeless romantic. But when he transforms into The Mask, he is a mischievous prankster, though still with good intentions. He’s a good person either way, but the mask allows him to express desires in the most exaggerated ways possible.

Arguably, the most important lesson in The Mask is about recognizing one’s own self-worth. When Stanley can be the person he wants to be without the mask, his life starts to get better. All he needed was confidence in himself and the nerve to stand up to others. Eventually, he learns he can do that as Stanley and doesn’t have to be the green-faced hero to reach his full potential.

Should kids watch The Mask? The musical and dance numbers contribute to the lighter feel, while Carrey’s signature physical comedy makes it a delight to watch. The chemistry between him and Diaz is electric as well, a believable duo both when he’s The Mask and as Stanley. But the message behind it is still prominent through the storytelling. Common Sense Media recommends the movie for kids aged 12 and older, noting the presence of drinking, drugs, and smoking, some profanity, sex jokes, and cartoonish violence. Both parents and kids, however, feel the film is OK for ages 10 and up.

The Mask was well received by critics, earning an 80% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. Don Shannon of Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast describes the movie as being “over the top in all of the best ways, even after 30 years.” Stephen Wigler from Baltimore Sun calls Carrey “the finest comic to come along since Robin Williams,” and Steven Rea of Philadelphia Inquirer notes that the “cartoon-y creation is an amazing fusion of physical comedy and state-of-the-art cinema illusion.” So, for family movie night or just got a good laugh, The Mask is a great option while it’s available for free on Tubi for a limited time. Stream The Mask for free on Tubi.