It is easy to forget that long before Marvel and DC dominated the comic book movie atmosphere, Hollywood tried to adapt several underground comics in the '90s. Works like Spawn, The Shadow and The Phantom all took up more movie space than the Spider-Man and X-Men stories people know. Perhaps the best, or at least most successful, was Chuck Russell's 1994 take on Dark Horse Comics' The Mask.

The Mask might just be the perfect blend of actor and vehicle. The story follows mild-mannered bank worker Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey at his peak), who finds a mystical Norse mask that turns the wearer into an over-the-top cartoon version of their id. Ipkiss uses this to get revenge on people who look down on him and woo the glamorous Tina (Cameron Diaz) but runs afoul of mobster Dorian (Peter Greene).

What still works about the film is that, for 1994, the visual effects still hold up. The choice to make Ipkiss' innermost personality based on old Tex Avery cartoons means that the visual effects don't always need to be photo real. It also helps that Carrey himself can move like he's animated so the seams blend almost perfectly. The jokes are still as funny now as they were back in '94; the stand out remains the Mask forcing the police to join him in a rendition of Cuban Pete as a means of escape.

The supporting cast are all game – Diaz does well as the all-too-glamorous love interest, even if she is underwritten, while Peter Reigert nabs several laughs as the deadpan cop hunting the Mask. Like a lot of vehicles, the film isn't really all that concerned with fleshing out characters like the mobsters lead by Greene. Dorian's motivation is to become a bigger bad guy and in a film like this that's all that needed.

The film ultimately gets by on Carrey's sheer force of nature. In the '90s he was an unstoppable comedic force and Ipkiss allows him to play up his more charming side when he's in nerd mode and show what he can do physically when he's in Mask mode. This is what the film sells itself on—theplot is just the loose framework for those things to make sense.

There is an argument to be made that a version of this film that hews closer to the comic book might be interesting. After all the comic book is actually about a serial killing mask that turns its wearer into a vicious murderer. But the more family orientated comedy makes more sense even if the throwback score has a dark ominous tone that sometimes threatens to turn into a horror soundtrack.

It's shocking to see just how far Carrey has come as a performer, from heading these big studio comedies, to dramas, to becoming the face of a video game movie franchise. There's no denying that despite all he's accomplished, his best work remains Ipkiss and his green faced alter-ego.

Now someone re-release all of the animated series on Blu-ray…

Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray Special Features

4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director Chuck Russell
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, lossless stereo audio and a brand new Dolby Atmos mix
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Archive audio commentary with Chuck Russell
Archive audio commentary with Chuck Russell, New Line co-chairman Bob Shaye, screenwriter Mike Werb, executive producer Mike Richardson, producer Bob Engelman, ILM VFX supervisor Scott Squires, animation supervisor Tom Bertino and cinematographer John R. Leonetti
The Man Behind the Mask, a newly filmed interview with Chuck Russell
From Strip to Screen, a newly filmed interview with Mike Richardson, Mike Werb and Mark Verheiden
Green Faces Blue Screens, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Scott Squires
Sssssssplicin'!, a newly filmed interview with editor Arthur Coburn
Ask Peggy, a newly filmed interview with actor Amy Yasbeck
Toeing the Conga Line, a newly filmed interview with choreographer Jerry Evans featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage
Terriermania, a new video essay by critic Elizabeth Purchell on canine sidekick Milo
Archival featurettes Return to Edge City, Introducing Cameron Diaz, Cartoon Logic, What Makes Fido Run, The Making Of, on-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-Roll footage
Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by director Chuck Russell
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and original production notes
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artwork options
Six postcard-sized reproduction artcards