Sequel of ‘Mask’ falls flat on its face

Making a sequel to “The Mask” without Jim Carrey is like trying to make peanut butter without peanuts.

Carrey’s hyperactive performance was the heart and soul of “The Mask,” which leaves “Son of the Mask” without either of those things. The green mask that turns its wearer into an uncensored dervish is the only thing returning from the original movie, and it’s a lot less entertaining when Carrey isn’t the one putting it on.

Two creatures wear it here – comedian Jamie Kennedy and a dog – and the question of who’s unfunnier is a toss-up.

The movie throws together Looney Tunes and Arthur Miller: It’s a melancholy drama about the connection of a father and a son, mixed with cartoony gags about what happens when someone dons the mask and becomes possessed by the Norse god of mischief.

That’s an awkward combo, since young moviegoers don’t care about the difficulties of parenting, and parents probably don’t want little ones to see a negligent dad (Kennedy) trying to retrieve his baby from a series of (cartoon) dangers.

One minute, there’s a sappy message about the power of love. The next, there’s a joke about flatulence or somebody’s cartoon eyes popping out of his head.

And, without the sssssmokin’ Carrey, all of it just seems ssssstupid.