Summary
- The Mask quotes are iconic and still provide laughs nearly three decades later.
- The humor in The Mask has held up, with the movie embracing the madness of its titular character.
- Jim Carrey's performance as The Mask turned him into a live-action cartoon character and made him a household name.
The Mask quotes serve as a reminder of the humor and fun within this earlier comic book adaptation. The Mask follows a shy banker, Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), who becomes a paranormal playboy after putting on a mask of Loki's effigy. The movie helped make Carrey a household name, earning him a Golden Globe nomination and grossing over $350 million. It was the perfect role for Carrey as he became a live-action cartoon character, pulling off hilarious antics while also spewing out some unforgettable lines that have become iconic.
The Mask has become a classic since it debuted in 1994, both as an underrated addition to the cape and cowl genre and as a nostalgic piece of '90s cinema. The humor has also held up with the movie completely embracing the madness of its titular character. The best quotes from the movie still provide laughs nearly three decades later and are among the most memorable lines of Carrey's legendary career.
"Aren’t You Due Back At the Lab To Have Your Bolts Tightened?.. I Should Have Said That."
Stanley Ipkiss
While Stanley Ipkiss is a nice guy, who sometimes allows people to walk all over him. When he returns home from a particularly bad day, his unpleasant landlord gives him a hard time, which Ipkiss just takes. When she closes the door on him, he finally yells this insult, wishing he had the courage to speak for himself in the moment. It cements Ipkiss as an endearing protagonist who deserves to be given a little more confidence and power.
"Geez, I Figured You Had A Sense Of Humor. After All - You Married Her!"
The Mask
The scene between The Mask and the police is one of the funniest in the movie and provides some of the best The Mask quotes. As the cops go through his pockets, they find a seemingly endless collection of things, from rubber chickens to bazookas. However, the moment that really gets him in trouble is when one of the cops pulls out a picture of Detective Kallaway's wife. As the detective is about to unleash his rage, The Mask delivers this hilarious insult that shows he is only too happy to make the situation even worse.
"That’s A Spicy Meatball!"
The Mask
While it is nice to see Ipkiss attempting to be a hero even as an ordinary guy, once The Mask returns, it is a big relief that the superpowered oddball can take on the bad guys. When it comes to the bomb that Dorian has set to blow up the building, The Mask proves that there is nothing he cannot handle and he simply opens his mouth wide, swallows it, and burps out a fireball. While the impossible feats of The Mask may rob the climax of some of its tension, it is fun seeing such an unstoppable and silly hero save the day.
"Did You Miss Me? Guess Not."
The Mask
The climax of the movie adds a real threat to the story as the villainous Dorian gets his hands on the mask and turns himself into a much less fun and much more terrifying monster. When Ipkiss attempts to get the mask back, his goons open fire on him, only for him to emerge as The Mask who asks them and the audience if he was missed. However, adding to his triumphant return, he takes a drink and sees the liquid pouring out of various bullet holes. It is a great crowd-pleasing moment seeing Jim Carrey at his best back in manic character mode while also turning the tables on the bad guys.
"Well, I Hope You Can Enjoy The Victory With One Freakin’ Eye!"
Stanley Ipkiss
Though Ipkiss is more formidable as The Mask, the climax of the movie proves that he is a hero at heart. Even without the power of the mask, Dorian is a more imposing opponent for Ipkiss when they find themselves fighting. However, Ipkiss shows that he has a little bit of The Mask in him and he has no qualms about fighting dirty. When Dorian makes a threat, Ipkiss delivers this line before poking him in the eye. It is a childish moment that allows Ipkiss to get the upper hand for a moment.
"Our Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose...And I Am A Little Thorny."
The Mask
After setting his sights on Tina, The Mask's ardor for the singer is almost insatiable, and when they have a rendezvous in the park he tries to impress her by dressing like an approximation of a French lover and reciting suggestive poetry. Unfortunately, she finds this incredibly offputting and rejects his advances. As the id of Stanley Ipkiss, The Mask represents his innate impulses and makes manifest his most instinctive and primal desires. The Mask is the man Stanley wishes he was, but eventually, he finds out that he doesn't need to change who he is to be wanted by women.
"It Wasn't Me, It Was The One-Armed Man!"
The Mask
When confronted by Dorian's men about the stolen money, The Mask has a good laugh at their expense by constantly toying with them and never taking their interrogation seriously. When they ask him if he's the person who robbed the bank they were supposed to hit, he points the blame at anyone but himself. The reference he makes with this line comes from the Harrison Ford-led suspenseful true crime movie The Fugitive, with the one-armed man being the one Ford insists killed his wife. While it may seem like a dated reference now, it is a great example of The Mask not taking anything seriously.
"We All Wear Masks...Metaphorically Speaking."
Arthur Neuman
When Stanley first tries on the mask and has an incredibly intense experience under its thrall, he decides to seek out an authority on the matter. He finds a doctor that specializes in not just masks, but the intricacies of the human psyche and tries to recreate what happened the night before. Nothing happens, except an interesting conversation about New Age psychology. While many of The Mask quotes are funny because of Jim Carrey's particular brand of comedy, having someone as dour as Ben Stein portray his psychiatrist, and deliver some of the most cutting lines in his signature deadpan, is an unexpected delight.
"Look At That! It's Exactly Three Seconds Before I Honk Your Nose And Pull Your Underwear Over Your Head."
The Mask
When accosted by several thugs in a back alley while he's out on the town, The Mask doesn't back down from the confrontation. On the contrary, he seems to revel in the prospect of a fight, using the opportunity to pull out his bag of tricks and unleash a supernatural smackdown on them all. Part of The Mask's appeal is in its brilliant marriage of brutal violence with hysterical comedy, making over-the-top scenes like this a genesis for future similar movies like Kick-Ass or series like The Tick.
"You Were Good Kid, Real Good, But As Long As I'm Around You'll Always Be Second Best, See?"
The Mask
The Mask quotes are often stuffed with references to other movies, and this line is no exception, with The Mask taking a quote from one of the last scenes in The Cincinnati Kid, in which an old poker pro (played by Edward G. Robinson) imparts some important wisdom to a young, arrogant cardshark (played by Steve McQueen), and applying it where it doesn't belong. The Mask uses this as a taunting farewell after he defeats the villainous Dorian. Despite Dorian being formidable in the mask, the original troublemaker reminds everyone that he can't be beaten.
"Sssssmokin'!"
The Mask
Part of the hilarity involved in The Mask's dialogue came from his inherent puns, which allowed actor Jim Carrey to turn the absurd into the clever and satirical. In a snappy smoking jacket, he yells, "Sssssmokin'!" while at Dorian's club, a one-liner that would become one of the film's most popular catchphrases. It is a great example of Carrey's abilities as a performance as few actors could have turned such a simple line into such an iconic piece of pop culture.
"Somebody Stop Me!"
The Mask
The Mask's affirmation while admiring himself in front of the mirror remains one of the most quotable phrases from the film, compounded by him slipping into his iconic yellow outfit. The Coco Bongo Club didn't know what hit it when he danced the night away with Tina, its star attraction. If anyone could bring the wacky whimsicality of The Mask to life and translate his most bizarre aspects from comic book to film, it was Jim Carrey. His malleability with both the dialogue and physicality of the role made something demanding seem effortless and completely believable.
"Those Pajamas Are Impossible. This Actually Happened."
Lieutenant Kallaway
Lieutenant Kallaway serves as a secondary antagonist in the movie, a detective following The Mask's path of destruction which brings him to Ipkiss' door after finding a link. When Ipkiss explained it would be "impossible" for him to have done the things Kallaway claims, Kallaway snaps back with a witty comment about his pajamas. Peter Reigert is a legendary comedic actor with roles in Animal House and Local Hero and his dry, tough-guy humor in the movie is a perfect counter to Jim Carrey's madcap performance.
"It's Party Time! P-A-R-T-Why? Because I Gotta!"
The Mask
Nerdy Stanley Ipkiss wasn't a ladies' man, couldn't get access to the most popular nightspot in the city, and had no professional ambition at a job he hated, but all that changed when he put on Loki's likeness and transformed himself into The Mask. Suddenly he was outgoing, stylish, and capable of incredible feats of transformation. The Mask was the life of the party, and as good as he made Stanley feel, Stanley had to learn that he didn't need The Mask to be special.
"Hold On, Sugar! Daddy's Got A Sweet Tooth Tonight!"
The Mask
Stanley might not have been able to get the girl, but as The Mask, he was able to fill her dance card. The beautiful Tina, the Coco Bongo Club's star entertainer, was dazzled by his style, flair, and impressive dance moves. The character of Tina was Cameron Diaz's breakout role, and over the course of the film, she went from portraying a bombshell inextricably tied to the men in her life to a woman who realized that she didn't need a man to feel special. No matter her attraction to what The Mask represented, she had her own path that allowed Diaz to shine in the role.
"Look Mom, I'm Roadkill. Ha Ha!"
The Mask
When Stanley first put on Loki's likeness he opened up an incredible world of possibilities, some frightening and some hilarious. When his landlord discovered him as The Mask testing out his powers, he was forced to flee into the night on a maniacal spree. Aside from the ability to pull out a ridiculous amount of guns from his pockets, or change his clothing faster than Superman in a phone booth, he was also able to be run over by a truck without having to worry about suffering any horrific injuries and delivering this gleeful line in response.
"Do You Know How Hard It Is To Find A Decent Man In This Town? Most Of Them Think Monogamy Is Some Kind Of Wood!"
Peggy
Peggy Brant may have been a hard-hitting reporter searching for the scoop, but she was also a hopeless romantic. When she found out that Stanley Ipkiss was behind a touching letter to their local paper, she realized that there really were decent men out there. While visiting Stanley at his bank, she gave this caustic line that conveyed her sharp wit and rhetorical style. It is a fun throwaway line that is a reminder that the humor in this movie is not just relegated to the cartoonish antics of Jim Carrey's central performance.
"Hold Me Closer, Ed, It's Getting Dark...Tell Auntie Em To Let Old Yeller Out...Tell Tiny Tim I Won't Be Coming Home This Christmas...Tell Scarlett I Do Give A Damn!"
The Mask
When The Mask first confronts Dorian and his goons, they quickly realize they are no match for him and his powers. No matter how many bullets they unloaded on him, he not only can't be killed, but he will turn their attempts into a big joke. The monologue he delivers when he fakes his death is peppered with half a dozen cinematic references as he "dies" in the arms of one of these surprised goons. Jim Carrey's performance is a comedic tour-de-force in this scene, switching from characters rapidly. There is also a great moment of his continuously turning away from the goon to release a weak death cough except one time when he chooses just to cough directly in the man's face.
"You Can't Make The Scene If You Don't Have The Green."
The Mask
Stanley Ipkiss may not have been able to bribe his way into the Coco Bongo Club, but The Mask had no such qualms. He knew he couldn't show up without something to sweeten the doorman's pot, so he decided to rob a bank and head to the nightclub to shower its staff in loot. Part of what makes The Mask an enduring classic is the fact that some of the most iconic scenes aren't rooted in CGI but in practical effects involving Jim Carrey's facial expressions and dramatic flair. It achieved a strong balance that many films aren't lucky enough to do, no matter their expense.
"Now You Have To Ask Yourself One Question: "Do I Feel Lucky?" Well, Do Ya, Punks?!"
The Mask
The Mask was full of quotes from other films, with Jim Carrey reciting a popular piece of cinematic zeitgeist every few scenes. One of the most salient was his homage to Dirty Harry, the gritty detective series of films starring Clint Eastwood. The Mask decided to channel one of cinema's most lauded lawmen by gritting his teeth and asking Dorian's thugs if they "felt lucky," borrowing Eastwood's signature catchphrase and making it his own as he shows off his impressive and impossible arsenal. The joke is capped with the reveal that the guns are all fake.
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The Mask
- Summary:
- Bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss is transformed into a manic superhero when he wears a mysterious mask.
- Release Date:
- 1994-07-29
- Budget:
- $23 million
- Cast:
- Richard Jeni, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Cameron Diaz, Amy Yasbeck, Jim Carrey
- Director:
- Chuck Russell
- Genres:
- Crime, Action, Fantasy, Comedy
- Rating:
- PG-13
- Runtime:
- 101 minutes
- Writers:
- Mike Werb
- Studio(s):
- New Line Cinema
- Distributor(s):
- New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures
- Sequel(s):
- Son of the Mask
