Movie Review: Son of the Mask

In Son of the Mask, Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) is a wannabe animator who treats his dog like a child. His wife Tonya (Traylor Howard) wants a baby but Tim is too scared for parenthood. When Otis, the much-loved family pooch, finds the Mask of Loki (Alan Cumming), the Norse God of Mischief, he brings it home and, just as in the original "Mask" film, things get really wacky.

Both Otis and Tim have their turns wearing the Mask and, when Tim is in Mask mode, he and Tonya conceive a son who ends up with the shape-shifting, mischief-making powers of Loki who now, desperately, wants to reclaim the Mask before his own dad Odin, King of the Norse Gods, disowns him.

The best things about this comedy are the CGI cartoon chases between the Mask-wearing pooch and the magical baby. If you like classic cartoons, the all-over-the-place action is a big chuckle. Also noteworthy is chameleon Alan Cumming as the alternately bold and little-boyish God Loki. His many disguises alone are like a whirlwind tour through "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment".

Jamie tries his best but with the sappy, "Awww, don't you wanna be a dad" and "family is everything" theme and the fact that his Mask, unlike Jim Carrey's, is solid, unmoving and makes him look like a green Ken doll, there isn't a lot of room for him to draw a character we really care about.

For me, the wacky, CGI tribute to classic Warner Brothers cartoons and Alan Cumming wearing red pigtails as a Girl Scout was funny enough for some enjoyment. And, if you are a big Jamie fan, you can probably forgive him for playing a weird sort of Mr. Mom as he cares for a kinda gross, magical baby.

For the funny elements that do work... 3.5 out of 5 stars

Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.