The Mask

A closer look at the story

The Mask tells how the uneventful life of Stanley Ipkiss, a timid and good-hearted bank clerk, is turned upside down. By chance Stanley comes across an antique mask in which the Norse god Loki's spirit is bound. When he puts it on, he undergoes an incredible change, turning into a green-faced, utterly uninhibited creature straight out of a cartoon, with extraordinary powers to match. The public soon knows him simply as the Mask. The mask also gives Stanley a self-confidence he has never had before, and the bashful man finally dares to win over a singer from around town. His new identity comes with a cost, though. By mistake, Stanley ends up in the sights of the ruthless mobster Dorian Tyrrell and finds himself caught in a dangerous game. This 1994 comedy, 101 minutes long, was directed by Chuck Russell from a script by Mike Werb. Jim Carrey plays Stanley and Peter Greene plays Dorian Tyrrell, with Peter Riegert, Amy Yasbeck and Richard Jeni also in the cast.