The Quadrangle

Issue date: 2/16/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

This sequel of the early Jim Carrey classic The Mask proves yet again that Carrey-less sequels are worth less than the film they are shot on. Though peppered with respected actors, the ability of the few is not enough to overcome the poor plot, weak writing, and low-brow humor of The Son of the Mask.

Set in Fringe City, The Son of the Mask details the story of aspiring cartoonist Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy), and his wife Tonya Avery (Traylor Howard). As the pair experience the ubiquitous moment where a couple contemplates starting a family, the mask capable of releasing the Id of anyone who wears it comes into the house. Determined to make an impression on his co-workers and boss, the famed cartoonist (Steven Wright) at the company costume party, Tim searches desperately for a costume that will set him apart. After Tonya convinces Tim to wear the strange-looking mask, he makes more than an impression on the party, turning the drab event into a rollicking event remembered by everyone present.

Some time later, Avery nears his goal of penning a cartoon for his company, Animagine. After years spent donning a turtle costume, he begins to taste success as he is moments away from making a character out of his appearance at the costume party. When his career begins to soar, his fears of becoming a father come to fruition as his wife becomes pregnant. Faced with the decision between his career and parenting, Tim spends his time juggling both his wife's needs and his career's demands. As time goes on and baby Alvey grows up, Tonya is called away from Fringe City for a business trip, leaving Tim and Alvey alone as both contend with an entirely new world. Throwing in another problem, the spirit of the Mask is imbibed into his son, creating a walking, talking, and destructive newborn. As Tim tries to send in his pitch for the company executives, while tending to a newborn son, his nerves fray, and chaos ensues.

Loki (played brilliantly by Alan Cummings), the Norse god of mischief, nears closer to the Avery home in his search for his mask. Inching closer to baby Alvey, Loki finds the child to be just as challenging as Tim does. Baby Alvey realizes what Loki is after, and gives him more hell than his father experienced. In a CGI wonderland, baby Alvey and Tim fight for their lives, and their family.

Within the opening frames of the movie, it is nearly established that screenwriter Lance Khazei will not shy away from the obvious gag: using sight gags, stereotypical gag characters, and copius cliché, The Son of the Mask is one of the many movies that decided to forego the art of film and screenwriting in favor of cheap lines, cheap gags, and cheap shots. Though clearly aimed for young children, the movie could have greatly benefited from better writing, and a little class.

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