History YMMV / TheMask

[[folder:Comic Book series]]

[[folder:Saturday Morning Cartoon]]

[[folder:SNES Video Game]]

!!In General

!!The original ''ComicBook/TheMask'' comic series has the following tropes:

!!The movie adaptation of ''Film/TheMask'' has the following tropes:

!!The Saturday morning cartoon version of ''WesternAnimation/TheMask'' has the following tropes:

* {{Adorkable}}:
** In the movie and the animated series, Stanley and the Mask are both this; with Stanley being too shy while the Mask comes on too strong, but both of them are sweet, kind and funny. The Mask is very well liked by Edge City partly because of it, while Stanley has a few friends and a couple of girls drawn to him also because of it as well. In the comics? Not so much.

* MagnificentBastard: Throughout the film, the Mask performs whatever acts he wants to, usually ones that benefit Stanley. Along the way, he outwits whatever foes he comes across using his charm and wit.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The original writing team left after "The Mask Strikes Back" (or ''ComicBook/WalterCampaignOfTerror'' if you count that as a ''Mask'' comic). Some of what followed is still quite good ("The Hunt For Green October" especially), but the series quickly got hijacked by increasing preachiness and nonsensical crossovers.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The original writing team left after "The Mask Strikes Back" (or ''ComicBook/WalterCampaignIfTerror'' if you count that as a ''Mask'' comic). Some of what followed is still quite good ("The hunt For Green October" especially), but the series quickly got hijacked by increasing preachiness and nonsensical crossovers.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The original writing team left after "The Mask Strikes Back." Some of what followed is still quite good ("The hunt For Green October" especially), but the series quickly got hijacked by increasing preachiness and nonsensical crossovers.

* CoveredUp: Did you even know that "Cuban Pete" was originally a Creator/DesiArnaz song until you read the [[VideoExamples/TheMask Video Examples page]]?

* MagnificentBastard: The Mask himself is the jolly and zany alter-ego of Stanley Ipkiss whom he turns into whenever he puts on the Mask of Loki. Throughout the film, the Mask performs whatever act he wants to, said acts usually being one’s that end up benefiting Stanley due to them usually being things that wind up proving as solutions to his circumstances that he winded up in. Along the way, he outwits whatever foes he comes across using his charm as a form of manipulation and trickery while also committing a few crimes here and there and at the same time having moments of heroism like saving a casino and the people within from being blown up, all while managing to be a ladies’ man through charming Tina Carlyle, getting a kiss from her after finishing his dance and helping Stanley get another from her at the end of the film and maintaining tons of funny moments throughout.

* DesignatedVillain: Lt. Kellaway is a JerkAss cop that ends up being [[HumiliationConga humiliated at every turn]] and is chewed out by the mayor at the end. We're supposed to laugh but in reality, the guy was trying to arrest a bank robber. He's a HeroAntagonist in the comics, where he tries to stop the users of the mask from causing destruction and death at any cost. Kellaway ''also'' only gets chewed out by the Mayor because he shoves the man aside with a rude remark on his weight, only to start grovelling as soon as he realises who he's talking to.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: [[HeroicDog Milo]] has a ''major'' fan base for his cuteness, intelligence, and loyalty to Stanley.

** More ''poignant'' in hindsight than harsher: As TheNineties progressed Creator/JimCarrey began to feel trapped by both the goofy reputation of his star-making vehicles and the people-pleasing public/stage persona he'd crafted as "himself". In a sense, he needed an id-releasing mask of his own...and he found it when he was tapped to play Creator/AndyKaufman -- a performer who was famous for not caring about being liked -- in ''Film/ManOnTheMoon''. He decided to spend his entire time on set, whether cameras were rolling or not, in character as Kaufman or his various personas, which led to a truly eccentric shoot for everyone concerned. When it was over, it took Carrey three weeks or so to reconstruct his own sense of self, but (much like Stanley) he came out stronger for the experience, as discussed in the documentary ''Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond''.
* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Bizarrely enough, ''the dog!'' His comic takes are uncannily human, especially the way he pauses when the prison guard stirs as Milo is stealing his keys.

** [[Film/{{Expelled}} Ben Stein]], a noted Creationist and Biblical literalist, tells Stanley "It's mythology" and reminds him that his book is metaphorical, not literal.
** In the OscarBait scene, The Mask references ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' (among other things). Fifteen years later, Creator/JimCarrey starred in ''WesternAnimation/AChristmasCarol2009''.

* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: [[Videogame/TheMask The SNES game]] is a fun platformer that successfully translates the movie's feel and look, even with many liberties to work as a video game (along with much AdaptationExpansion, the final boss is Masked Dorian, meaning it has two Masks simultaneously).

* CoolLoser: Stanley Ipkiss, as lampshaded by Webvideo/{{Cinemasins}}: “I love how [[PrettyBoy handsome]] Jim Carrey in [[HeCleansUpNicely a nice suit]] with a good job is somehow a loser with women”.

** Have we not mentioned this wouldn't be the last time Creator/CameronDiaz [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} falls in love with a guy in green]]?

* FriendlyFandoms: For some reason, the internet is fond of depicting [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse Lisa Loud]] wearing The Mask.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Lt. Kellaway while an officer of the law, was he really the tough and no-nonsense authority figure that deep down inside had a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold sort of warmth to him]] like he was meant to be, or just something of an overall JerkAss who used his position of authority rudely and condescendingly. Sure he may have been on the [[JerkassHasAPoint right track]] when hunting down the one who robbed the bank doing his job, but considering his overall antagonizing, slightly condescending, mildly and openly rudely insulting attitude (particularly the one he displayed toward Stanley), some (or few) may not have found him to be all that sympathetic. Although it's possible this was intentional to make Stanley more sympathetic.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: ** Lt. Kellaway while an officer of the law, was he really the tough and no-nonsense authority figure that deep down inside had a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold sort of warmth to him]] like he was meant to be, or just something of an overall JerkAss who used his position of authority rudely and condescendingly. Sure he may have been on the [[JerkassHasAPoint right track]] when hunting down the one who robbed the bank doing his job, but considering his overall antagonizing, slightly condescending, mildly and openly rudely insulting attitude (particularly the one he displayed toward Stanley), some (or few) may not have found him to be all that sympathetic. Although it's possible this was intentional to make Stanley more sympathetic.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Lt. Kellaway while an officer of the law, was he really the tough and no-nonsense authority figure that deep down inside had a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold sort of warmth to him]] like he was meant to be, or just something of an overall JerkAss who used his position of authority rudely and condescendingly. Sure he may have been on the [[JerkassHasAPoint right track]] when hunting down the one who robbed the bank doing his job, but considering his overall antagonizing, slightly condescending, mildly and openly rudely insulting attitude (particularly the one he displayed toward Stanley), some (or few) may not have found him to be all that sympathetic. Although it's possible this was intentional to make Stanley more sympathetic.

* DesignatedVillain:
** Lt. Kellaway is a JerkAss cop that ends up being [[HumiliationConga humiliated at every turn]] and is chewed out by the mayor at the end. We're supposed to laugh but in reality, the guy was trying to arrest a bank robber. He's a HeroAntagonist in the comics, where he tries to stop the users of the mask from causing destruction and death at any cost. Kellaway ''also'' only gets chewed out by the Mayor because he shoves the man aside with a rude remark on his weight, only to start grovelling as soon as he realises who he's talking to.
** Milo keeping the mask away from Charlie at the end. Most interpret it as Milo wanting the mask for himself, but some think he's simply trying to keep the mask away from Charlie because he knows how troublesome it actually is.

* DesignatedVillain: Lt. Kellaway is a JerkAss cop that ends up being [[HumiliationConga humiliated at every turn]] and is chewed out by the mayor at the end. We're supposed to laugh but in reality, the guy was trying to arrest a bank robber. He's a HeroAntagonist in the comics, where he tries to stop the users of the mask from causing destruction and death at any cost. Kellaway ''also'' only gets chewed out by the Mayor because he shoves the man aside with a rude remark on his weight, only to start grovelling as soon as he realises who he's talking to.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMpnfgi1xS8 The intro]]. Creator/RobPaulsen has gone on to admit that it was one of the greatest theme songs he ever had the pleasure of singing.

* {{Spiritual Adaptation}}: The film and the animated series tells about a unlucky guy who becomes a wisecracking, genuinely insane madman who goes over the top and cartoonish only instead of becoming a supervillain becomes a superhero instead making them heroic, light-hearted adaptations of ComicBook/TheJoker.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: "Hey, Pachuco! HEY!" Also "Cuban Pete." [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RfX5XFaeCg Observe.]]

*** A lot of songs are this for the entire soundtrack: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9nY1M2o4zc Let the Good times Roll]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFgVrEjS47s Hi De Ho]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etjDpCIztdA Bounce Around]] are just some of the best songs on the album. A lot of the songs go from old-school Jazz to R&B, and Hip-Hop. The [[GenreMashup mixing of genres]] in some songs makes it an easy ear listener.

* DesignatedVillain: Lt. Kellaway is a JerkAss cop that ends up being [[HumiliationConga humiliated at every turn]] and is chewed out by the mayor at the end. We're supposed to laugh but in reality, the guy was trying to arrest a bank robber. He's a HeroAntagonist in the comics, where he tries to stop the users of the mask from causing destruction and death at any cost.
** It should be noted that while he's technically an officer of the law, the film version of Kellaway is still overly antagonistic and surprisingly incompetent. A good example would be when Dorian's men literally ''throw'' Stanley at him and he doesn't question the suspicious circumstances behind this at all.
** Kellaway ''also'' only gets chewed out by the Mayor because he shoves the man aside with a rude remark on his weight, only to start grovelling as soon as he realises who he's talking to.

* {{Adorkable}}: Stanley is this all over. It actually does get him a few girls over the course of the series.

** The beginning of "Counterfeit Mask" where the Banana Republic Liberation Army freedom fighters hijack a plane. The whole thing [[spoiler:turns out to be a dream]], thankfully, which is more than what anyone can say about 9/11.
*** And ''after'' that [[spoiler:dream sequence]] we get a scene where a Jerkass security guard doesn't bother to look at Stanley's luggage (which was switched with one containing counterfeit money. Imagine if it was a bomb...) because "a wimp like you couldn't sneak a peanut past a sleeping baby". And when Stanley ''insists'' he gets his bags checked he gets ''thrown out''. These days, with airport security tight as ever, this would be hideously illegal and would cost a TSA agent his job.
** Don't forget Kablamus- if you ignore the fact he survives each "pop", his superpower is that he's a suicide bomber. It's unlikely this character would be approved of for a modern series, either.

** The episode "Broadway Malady" centers on a disastrous musical made from the "Mad Monkey" movie series, much like the ''[[Theatre/SpiderManTurnOffTheDark Spider-Man]]'' musical would years later.
*** This is even funnier with the knowledge that in 1999, there was a musical based on ''Film/TheMask'' performed at Butlin's holiday resorts in the UsefulNotes/{{United Kingdom}}. Very little is known about it, but [[https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSzVuL5TH_30Agl8DNBNyppF3Dtk9Rt7H the soundtrack]] is available on [=YouTube=].

*** Speaking of ''Son of the Mask'', "Baby's Wild Ride" dealt with a baby putting on the Mask and the expected chaos that ensues. "Son of the Mask" has a similar premise but with the baby's Mask powers being internalized rather than the result of putting the Mask on. Since that film fails on so many levels, "Baby's Wild Ride" could probably be more or less ''Son of the Mask'' done right.

* NauseaFuel: A few times it goes beyond regular ToiletHumor, like the Mask trimming his nostril hair, an exploited case where to disgust a guy he opens his suit to instead reveal his pulsating insides, and just about everything in "To Have and Have Snot", which is about the Mask getting the flu and has plenty of disgusting bodily fluids being thrown around.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Intelligent dogs say "Uh?" in a questioning tone to express confusion.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The original writing team left after "The Mask Strikes Back." Some of what followed is still quite good ("The hunt For Green October" especially), but the series quickly got hijacked by increasingly incomprehensible crossovers.

** When Stanley/The Mask is getting arrested in the park, he remarks "Where's a camcorder when you need one?" in a joking matter when some police officers grab him rather roughly. In 1994 this was a topical reference to the Rodney King PoliceBrutality incident, but in TheNewTens PoliceBrutality and [[DirtyCop corruption]] are bigger issues than ever, and everyone is being advised to record their encounters with cops.

** When Freeze is dying from being shot by the cops, Tyrell offers him a smoke. 24 years after the movie's release, Reg E. Cathey died from lung cancer.

* FirstInstallmentWins: The movie was considered a comedy classic compared to its sanitized stand-alone sequel.

* {{Spiritual Adaptation}}: The film and the animated series tells about a unlucky guy who becomes a wisecracking, genuinely insane madman who goes over the top and cartoonish only instead of becoming a supervillain becomes a superhero instead making them heroic, light-hearted adaptations of The Joker.