Mask, The (Blu-ray)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Video:
WB/New Line offer up a VC-1, 1080p video presentation using a single-layer BD25. The 1.85:1 ratio HD picture comes out OK, but not spectacularly so. I suspect it's probably as good as the source, but the source shows some small degree of fade and noise, not helped by whatever filtering the studio applied. Black levels are fine, although not as deep as I have seen; definition is average by Blu-ray standards; but colors are fairly realistic and natural appearing. The CGI effects come off best, with the real-life shots, particularly close-ups, looking somewhat soft yet gritty.

Audio:
For sound in English we get lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and regular Dolby Digital 5.1, although in switching back and forth between them, I didn't perceive a great deal of difference. It's only in a few instances that the TrueHD shows any serious improvement, namely in the cartoony action sequences, especially the "Cuban Pete" musical number and the final shoot-out. Here, the surrounds come to life, and the bass and dynamic range kick in. It's as though the soundtrack had two lives just like Stanley. When Stanley is himself, there is nothing special about the audio; when Stanley puts on the mask, everything about the sound comes to life.

Extras:
There is a good assortment of bonuses on the Blu-ray disc, most of them produced for the 2005 DVD rerelease. Things begin with a pair of audio commentaries, the first by director Chuck Russell, New Line Cinema co-chairman Bob Shaye, writer Mike Werb, executive producer Mike Richardson, producer Bob Engelman, visual effects Supervisor Scott Squires, animation supervisor Tom Bertino, and cinematographer John Leonetti; and the second, an older commentary, by director Chuck Russell alone. The second commentary was, as I remember, the first commentary I ever listened to completely through, and I found it fascinating. It's good that New Line retained it.

In addition, we find a set of featurettes. The first is a retrospective examination of the film, "Return To Edge City," about twenty-seven minutes long, taking a look behind the scenes with the producers, director, and filmmakers as they discuss everything from the movie's comic-book origins to the casting to the shooting to the ILM computer graphics. After that is "Introducing Cameron Diaz," a thirteen-minute look at the choice of Ms. Diaz for her first big-screen role. Then, there are two more featurettes, "Cartoon Logic," thirteen minutes on the legendary Hollywood cartoon director Tex Avery, who inspired much of "The Mask," and "What Makes Fido Run," eleven minutes on the training of animals for motion pictures.

The extras wrap up with two additional scenes: an alternate opening, "The Viking Scene," and "The Death of Peggy"; a widescreen theatrical trailer; twenty-five scene selections; and English and German spoken languages and captions for the hearing impaired.

Parting Thoughts:
"The Mask" is my favorite Jim Carrey film, and it's probably his best acting prior to getting serious in "The Truman Show." "The Mask" confirmed that Carrey was a versatile performer and more than just a poor man's latter-day imitation of Jerry Lewis. I enjoyed the movie's humor and I enjoyed its visual shenanigans, a kind of "Roger Rabbit" on steroids that still holds up well after all these years.

"Sssmoookin'!"

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---