Themes: Daring Rescues, Heroic Mission, Misfits and Outsiders
Main Cast: Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, Paul Reubens, Janeane Garofalo, Kel Mitchell, Wes Studi, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Can seven not-so-superheroes save a city of the future? Based on the comic book series created by Bob Burden, Mystery Men is set in the teeming metropolis of Champion City, where noble superhero Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) keeps the peace and sees that justice is done. When Captain Amazing mysteriously disappears, his archenemy Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) sees his opportunity to seize power and bend the city to his evil will, with his associate Dr. Annabel Leek (Lena Olin) at his side. However, Casanova will not succeed without a fight, as the The Mystery Men leap into action. The Mystery Men are not your ordinary Men of Steel; in fact, they're barely superheroes at all. Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller) has one gift: throwing tantrums. Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) is a deadly hand with spoons and forks (but not knives). Shoveler (William H. Macy) can dig with superior speed and force. The Bowler (Janeane Garafalo) rolls the ball with superhuman precision. Spleen (Paul Reubens) has a gaseous problem that he's turned into a weapon against evildoers. Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell) is convinced he can become invisible at will, but he hasn't actually done it yet. And The Sphinx (Wes Studi) does have an unusual power: he can cut metal objects with his mind. Aided by addled gadget master Dr. Heller (Tom Waits), the Mystery Men make their move against Casanova and Annabel, who feel just threatened enough to make things personal by kidnapping Mr. Furious' girlfriend Monica (Claire Forlani). Mystery Men marked the feature directorial debut of Kinka Usher, who previously directed such ads as the Taco Bell talking chihuahua and the Dairy Association's "Got Milk?" ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Though it suffers from a bloated production and an overabundance of the hipness quotient, Kinka Usher's inventive, often uproariously funny outing deserves credit for its funky, offbeat casting and a genuine sense of satire. The film may have been more successful if given the solid B-movie treatment that Neil Cuthbert's knowing, smart screenplay deserved, but for every scene that lands with a thud, there's two or three that soar, and the comically gifted performers milk every situation for its full potential. One might argue that letting these actors run wild with such a shaky foundation is a bad idea, but they all give fun-loving, devoted performances, and the superhero genre gets an effective tweaking while still delivering the goods as a big summer movie (though the film's protracted, numbing last reel grows tiresome very quickly). Released in August of 1999, the film was hugely unsuccessful, making only a fraction of what it cost to produce, and audiences stayed away in droves. Presumably, the marketing was unsure as to who the film was made for -- which, quite honestly, is part of its appeal. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
Barry Chusid - Art Director, Mindy Marin - Casting, Steven Gilder - Co-producer, Marilyn Vance - Costume Designer, Jeffrey Wetzel - First Assistant Director, Kinka Usher - Director, Conrad Buff - Editor, Robert Engelman - Executive Producer, Stephen Warbeck - Composer (Music Score), Karyn Rachtman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Kirk M. Petruccelli - Production Designer, Stephen H. Burum - Cinematographer, Lawrence Gordon - Producer, Lloyd Levin - Producer, Mike Richardson - Producer, Victor Zolfo - Set Designer, Douglas B. Arnold - Sound/Sound Designer, Mario Roberts - Stunts, Neil Cuthbert - Screenwriter, Alex Funke - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Lori J. Nelson - Visual Effects Supervisor
