Son of the Mask Review — A Sequel That Should Have Stayed Shelved

Son of the Mask wants to be a family comedy about a baby with superpowers, but it spends most of its runtime being a disaster. The 2005 sequel to The Mask stars Jamie Kennedy as Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist whose dog finds the Mask of Loki. Tim puts on the mask for a Halloween party, gets the powers of Loki, the God of Mischief, and then his wife Tonya conceives a son who inherits the mask’s magic. The result is a movie that is less a comedy than a series of jokes aimed at the lowest common denominator.

Trailer, via Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers.

Loki’s Return

Alan Cumming plays Loki, who is ordered by Odin to recover the mask. That premise is simple enough. What follows is not. The film opens with Doctor Arthur Neuman giving a tour of a hall of Norse mythology in Edge City’s museum, explaining that Loki created the Mask to unleash chaos on Earth. When a stranger transforms into Loki mid-tour, the tourists flee, but Neuman stays to argue with him. Loki takes the mask from the display case, only to find it’s a replica. The real mask has been in a river in Fringe City, found by Tim’s dog Otis.

Tim’s Reluctance

Tim is an aspiring animator who is reluctant to accept parenthood. His wife Tonya is pregnant, and he is not ready for the responsibility. That tension is a promising setup. The film never fully commits to it. Instead, Tim dons the mask for a Halloween party at his animation studio, becomes the reincarnation of “The Mask,” and uses his powers to invigorate the event. The party scene is a highlight of the film, but it is also a tease. The movie spends the rest of its runtime letting Tim’s son Alvey run wild.

Alvey’s Chaos

Months later, Tonya goes on a business trip, leaving Tim with Alvey. Tim, now promoted, desperately tries to work on his cartoon at home but is continuously disrupted by his son. He lets Alvey watch cartoons on television, which inspires the boy to torment his father using his powers. The plot is thin. The humor is thinner.

Odin’s Warning

Odin reminds Loki to resume the search for the mask, believing it has caused too much chaos for the mortal world. He tells Loki to take responsibility for his actions. Odin then informs Loki that if he finds the child, he will find the mask. This is the film’s central conflict. It never quite lands. The stakes are never made clear.

The Cast

Jamie Kennedy leads the cast as Tim Avery. Traylor Howard plays Tonya. Kal Penn is Jorge. Steven Wright is Daniel Moss. Ben Stein appears as Doctor Arthur Neuman. Peter Callan is Museum Redneck. Liam and Ryan Falconer play Tim’s son Alvey. Ashley Lyons is Museum Security Guard. Wayne McDaniel is Museum Person. Alan Cumming is Loki.

The Production

Son of the Mask was released in the United States by New Line Cinema on February 18, 2005. Principal photography took place in Sydney, Australia, from November 2003 to April 2004. The film suffered several delays before release. Plans for a sequel began as early as 1996, when an issue of Nintendo Power featured a promotional contest related to a proposed second film. Jim Carrey declined to reprise his role after his negative experience making Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Kennedy was cast in the lead role in 2001.

The Numbers

Son of the Mask grossed $59.9 million against an $84–100 million budget. That makes it a significant box-office bomb. Critics panned its screenplay, visual effects, and humor. The film is a failure on almost every level.

Our Verdict

Son of the Mask is a bad movie. It is a sequel that fails to capture the spirit of its predecessor. It is a comedy that is not funny. It is a family film that is not kind to its audience. Jamie Kennedy is not terrible, but he is not given much to work with. Alan Cumming is wasted in a small role. The supporting cast is competent but unremarkable.

The film’s biggest problem is its lack of focus. It wants to be a superhero comedy, a family comedy, and a cartoonist comedy all at once. It succeeds at none of them. The plot is a mess. The humor is juvenile. The visual effects are dated. The pacing is uneven. The tone is inconsistent.

There are moments of promise. The Halloween party scene is energetic. The museum tour scene has a few clever lines. The idea of a baby with superpowers is inherently silly, and the film occasionally leans into that silliness. But those moments are rare.

Son of the Mask is a failure. It is a sequel that should have been shelved. It is a comedy that should have been rewritten. It is a family film that should have been abandoned. It is a waste of talent, a waste of money, and a waste of time.

Alan Cumming · Jamie Kennedy · Loki · movie review · Son of the Mask