Let’s be real. Mentioning the Son of the Mask cast usually gets one of two reactions: a blank stare or a pained wince from someone who grew up loving the Jim Carrey original. It’s a movie that occupies a strange, neon-colored corner of cinematic history. Released in 2005, it didn't just try to step into the massive shoes of the 1994 classic; it tried to do it while pivoting into a family-friendly, baby-centric slapstick comedy that leaned heavily on early-2000s CGI.
Jamie Kennedy was the guy they picked to lead the charge. At the time, he was riding high on the success of The Jamie Kennedy Experiment and his meta-commentary in the Scream franchise. But replacing a whirlwind like Carrey is an impossible task. It’s like being the guy who has to follow Prince at a concert. You're probably talented, but the audience is already looking at the exit. Kennedy plays Tim Avery, a struggling animator who—you guessed it—finds the legendary mask of Loki.
The Leading Man and the Impossible Shadow
Tim Avery is a vastly different protagonist than Stanley Ipkiss. While Stanley was a repressed romantic, Tim is a guy terrified of fatherhood. Jamie Kennedy brings a frantic, nervous energy to the role that feels very "mid-2000s." He’s not doing a Jim Carrey impression, which is honestly for the best. Instead, he plays the straight man to a chaotic baby and a jealous dog.
Most people don't realize how much the Son of the Mask cast relied on physical comedy that was later "enhanced" by digital effects. Kennedy spent a massive portion of his time acting against green screens or puppets that would later become Alvey, the titular son. It’s a difficult way to work. Critics at the time, like Roger Ebert, weren't kind, giving it a rare half-star rating. But if you look at Kennedy's performance now, you can see he was genuinely trying to channel that old-school Chuck Jones cartoon energy. It just happened to be trapped in a script that felt a bit disjointed.
Then there’s the baby. Or rather, the babies. Connor and Liam Falconer played Alvey Avery. In the tradition of movies like Baby's Day Out, using twins is the standard operating procedure to bypass child labor laws and nap schedules. However, most of what you see on screen is a digital mask slapped onto the infants. It’s a bit uncanny valley. Honestly, it's a bit terrifying. The "cast" here is as much a team of digital animators at Industrial Light & Magic as it is the actors on set.
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Alan Cumming as the God of Mischief
If there’s a standout in the Son of the Mask cast, it’s undoubtedly Alan Cumming. He plays Loki. Now, this was years before Tom Hiddleston turned the Norse god into a brooding heartthrob. Cumming’s Loki is more of a petulant, flamboyant teenager who is constantly being bullied by his father. He’s looking for his lost mask because, if he doesn’t find it, he’s in deep trouble with the All-Father.
Cumming is great. He’s always great. He brings a weird, Shakespearean gravity to a movie that involves a dog turning into a human-flesh hybrid. His chemistry with Bob Hoskins—who plays Odin—is the secret sauce of the film. Hoskins, a legend from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, plays Odin as a disgruntled, overbearing dad. It’s a funny dynamic. Seeing the man who played Eddie Valiant screaming at the guy from Spy Kids in a giant, golden CGI Valhalla is... an experience.
Supporting Players and Surprising Faces
You’ve probably forgotten that Traylor Howard is the female lead. She plays Tonya Avery, Tim’s wife. Howard is best known for her roles in Two Guys and a Girl and later, Monk. In this film, she’s mostly there to be the grounded element while the house literally falls apart around her. It’s a thankless job, but she handles the "confused wife" trope with as much grace as the script allows.
And then there's the dog. Otis.
The Jack Russell Terrier is a callback to Milo from the first film. In a weird way, the dog has a more complex character arc than some of the humans. He gets jealous of the baby and puts on the mask to try and take the kid out. It’s very Looney Tunes. The voice work and the physical training for the dog were actually quite impressive, even if the CGI overlay makes it look like a fever dream.
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- Kal Penn: Before he was in the White House or House, he had a small role as Jorge.
- Ben Stein: Reprising his role as Dr. Arthur Neuman from the first film. He’s the only connective tissue between the two movies.
- Steven Wright: The deadpan comedian provides the voice of Daniel, the turtle.
Why the Casting Felt Different
The original Mask was a PG-13 action-comedy. It had an edge. It had Peter Greene playing a menacing mob boss. The Son of the Mask cast was assembled for a PG movie. The stakes were lower. The jokes were broader. When you look at someone like Steven Wright or Kal Penn, you see a movie trying to capture a "cool" comedic vibe while simultaneously trying to sell toys to six-year-olds.
Lawrence Guterman, the director, had previously done Cats & Dogs. You can see that influence everywhere. He wasn't looking for a noir-inspired comedy; he was looking for a live-action cartoon. This shift in tone meant the actors had to play everything "big." Kennedy, Cumming, and even Hoskins are dialed up to eleven. For some, it’s unwatchable. For others—specifically kids in 2005 who didn't know who Jim Carrey was—it was just another chaotic Saturday afternoon flick.
The Legacy of the Performers
What happened to everyone? Jamie Kennedy stayed busy, though he often speaks candidly about the backlash to this film. In his documentary Heckler, he deals with the fallout of being the face of a critically panned sequel. It’s a tough spot to be in. Alan Cumming continued to be a titan of the stage and screen, winning Tonys and appearing in The Good Wife. Bob Hoskins, sadly, passed away in 2014, leaving behind a massive legacy that Son of the Mask is only a tiny (and weird) part of.
The movie serves as a time capsule. It represents that specific era where Hollywood thought CGI could replace the sheer physical presence of a comedic genius. It couldn't. But the Son of the Mask cast did the best they could with a script that wanted to be The Incredibles but was filmed as a live-action farce.
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Interestingly, there's been a slight "ironic" resurgence of interest in the film. Gen Z, who grew up watching it on DVD or cable, doesn't have the same "you ruined my childhood" baggage that Millennials had. To them, it’s just a weird, colorful movie with the guy from Scream and a baby with superpowers.
Moving Forward with the Franchise
If you’re revisiting the film or researching the actors, it’s best to view it as a standalone experiment rather than a true sequel. The talent involved is actually quite high; the execution was just caught between two different audiences. If you want to dive deeper into the world of Dark Horse Comics (which the Mask is based on), you'll find that the source material is much darker than even the Jim Carrey version.
Key Insights for Your Next Rewatch
- Watch Alan Cumming closely: His physical movements are modeled after classic animation. He’s doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
- Look for the cameos: Catching Kal Penn or Steven Wright in these early roles is a fun "before they were famous" game.
- Compare the "Mask" persona: Notice how Tim Avery’s version of the Mask is different from Stanley Ipkiss’. It’s more of a "dad" version of the trickster, which explains some of the specific gags.
- Check out the "Heckler" documentary: If you want to see the human side of being in a "flop," Jamie Kennedy’s documentary provides a brutal, honest look at the industry.
The Son of the Mask cast might not have won Oscars for these roles, but they created one of the most talked-about sequels of the 2000s—for better or worse. Whether it's a cult classic or a cautionary tale depends entirely on your tolerance for CGI babies and Alan Cumming in a neon-green wig.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
To get a better sense of how this film fits into the broader history of the franchise, compare the character of Loki in this film to his depiction in the original Dark Horse comic books. You might be surprised at how much more sinister the character was intended to be before the 2005 film transformed him into a comedic foil. Additionally, tracking the career of Traylor Howard through her transition into the hit series Monk provides a great example of how actors pivot after high-profile, big-budget projects.