WesternAnimation EXCELLENT TROPE ENTRY!
Backstory - When I was about 5 years old, I broke my arm trying to be Tarzan in the closet. This was before you saw the "don't try this at home..." warning. I don't remember if I asked for it by name, but later that evening when my dad arrived at the hospital he brought a Jackhammer toy (and a stuffed animal). I darn near forgot about the arm.
Just recently turning 30, my best friend bought me volumes 1,2 and 3 and I am about halfway through. Damn I missed this show. I can't honestly say I remember everything, but the first time I saw the intro since I was a kid was a few years ago on youtube and I swear the rest of the song came right into my head before it finished. One of the more nostalgic feelings I've had in life thus far.
This trope review/commentary/background on M.A.S.K. is EXCELLENT and from what I can tell 100% accurate. I also learned about a few tropes I have never heard of by name before.
One I might add is the "terror" trope or "pro-military" trope, if I am getting it right. Is it not strange that Scott's dad is tasked with fighting terrorists (the kind that these days are blamed for killings and bombings and such) Scott is always saying "come on dad, can I come?" Can you imagine a show about a Special Forces father whose son begs to go out on the battlefield these days? Of course as kid I probably wasn't thinking about joining up, but I'm just saying. Also, even though the titles of the episodes might not have been on TV they are telling..."Highway to Terror" "The Ultimate Weapon" "Death from the Sky" "The Creeping Terror" "Assault on Liberty" etc.
There are also interesting social titles like "The Currency Conspiracy" and sci-fi themes like "Dinosaur Boy" (Star Trek Next Generation did an episode on this theme too)..
Regardless of any hidden messages or ulterior motives, I still love this show to death and probably wouldn't worry too much about my kids (none yet) watching it.
I just finished "Solaria Park" where VENOM used a giant solar collector to attack MASK...Remind anyone of Quantum of Solace? (I know it was in space, but similar)
This show may have been ahead of its time in more ways than one, but highly entertaining without a doubt.
Keep up the great work tropers!
WesternAnimation A fun but simple action series that promotes toys
MASK, like many shows of its time, was mainly a vehicle to promote...well, toy vehicles. Unfortunately for my youthful self, the first time I watched the show, I watched reruns airing in 1998, which meant the toys were no longer available. However, I was hooked by the show, despite its age at that time. As an old man of 34, I still watch an episode from time to time. And even collected several of these toy vehicles, fulfilling a childhood dream.
The show itself features a very interesting combination of tropes, namely:
This creates several unique situations that keep every episode fresh and interesting. And when it is time for action, the show keeps me at the edge of my seat, as the combination of vehicles and superpowers make every fight a joy to watch.
However, the series still shows its age, as several of the 80s tropes kind of aged poorly in modern times. Due to its Merchandise-Driven nature, the focus of the show goes primarily to the vehicles and the masks than the characters. The characters themselves are more stereotypes than real deep characters. For example:
Another thing that aged badly are the characters of Scott and T-Bob. Like many shows of that time period, these characters were clearly added in to give younger children someone to relate to. But even as a child, I did not find them interesting, as they hogged the spotlight from the cool vehicles and the masks.
The final sign of its age are the PSA's at the end of each episode. I don't have anything against them, but it certainly isn't a trope seen nowadays. Some PS As themselves also aged poorly, as they reference things like payphones.
Contrary to most, I do not have a beef against the Racing Series. While the setup was certainly weird and I do prefer the original series, the Racing Series still provides the viewer with action, transforming vehicles and cool mask powers.
If you are interested in shows of the 80s, you will certainly get fun out of this show. It showcases pretty much everything a fun Merchandise-Driven show of the 80s could offer.
Children of today might get some fun out of it, but it would not interest them for very long. By today's standards, the show is probably too simplistic for them, given how modern shows tend to go for a deeper, more serialized approach of storytelling.
In the end, I still have fond memories of this show and still get enjoyment out of watching it.