Cast: Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Geoffrey Rush, Janeane Garofalo, Greg Kinnear, Paul Reubens, Wes Studi, Kel Mitchell, Lena Olin, Claire Forlani
Director: Kinka Usher
Producers: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Mike Richardson
Screenplay: Neil Cuthbert, based on the comic book created by Bob Burden
Cinematography: Stephen H. Burum
Music: Stephen Warbeck
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
At long last, someone has crafted a worthwhile superhero spoof. In fact, Mystery Men does for the superhero genre what Men In Black did for UFOs. Of course, this isn't the first time Hollywood has taken aim at comic book-style caped crusaders - TV shows like "The Greatest American Hero" and motion pictures like Meteor Man and Last Action Hero have traveled this road before, but none with as much success. For, while Mystery Men is overflowing with irreverence, it's clear that the creators have both an affection for and a knowledge of the material they are lampooning. This is fresh satire - very little is old or recycled.
Mystery Men isn't just clever - it's genuinely funny, as well. When it comes to a high laugh quotient, this film can stand on its own against the summer's other big comedies: American Pie, South Park, and Austin Powers 2. Comic book and superhero fans will be pleased that Mystery Men isn't just a parody, but an homage as well. Like Austin Powers, the movie offers a group of characters who could return for future adventures (of course, that largely depends upon whether the box office take warrants a second engagement).
Mystery Men introduces us to a bunch of blue-collar superheroes. In Champion City, a stylized metropolis that looks like a cross between the futuristic world of The Fifth Element and Batman's Gotham City, Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) is every little boy's idol. Children revere this Superman clone, and why not? He has singlehandedly cleaned up the city. All the bad guys are behind bars or dead. But there's more to being a superhero than simply restoring law and order. During his period of fighting evil-doers, Captain Amazing has hired a publicist and earned sponsors (Ray-O-Vac, Konica, Reebok). Now times are getting a little difficult. Without any supervillains to defeat, Captain Amazing's shining star is dimming. Losing his Pepsi endorsement is the last straw. He decides to help engineer the parole of his arch nemesis, Cassanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), so that he'll have someone to save the city from. Unfortunately, Cassanova proves to be smarter than Captain Amazing, and soon Champion City's #1 champion is nowhere to be found.
Enter the Mystery Men - three ordinary guys who want to be superheroes. Their powers are less than astonishing. Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller) supposedly shows amazing strength when he gets mad, but the depth of his abilities is exaggerated. The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) is an "effete British superhero" who can do some impressive things with forks and spoons. And the Shoveler (William H. Macy) calls a spade a spade, then clanks people over the head with it. Unfortunately, these three aren't too successful in battle, and, when it comes to rescuing Captain Amazing, they're in over their heads - and they know it. So they do a little recruiting. Soon, their group has expanded to include the Bowler (Janeane Garafolo), a woman who keeps her father's skull in her bowling ball; the Spleen (Paul Reubens), a man with the ability to render opponents unconscious by farting on them; Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell), who "can only become invisible when nobody is watching"; and the Sphinx (Wes Studi), whose seemingly-wise pronouncements are often cliched and meaningless ("When you care what is outside, what is inside cares for you"). Armed with some really cool weapons, they decide to storm Cassanova's castle and save Captain Amazing and the city.
Mystery Men offers a broad base of humor with something for everyone. There are puns, sight gags, fairly sophisticated satire, lowbrow humor, and fart jokes. The best scene in the film is arguably the one in which Mr. Furious, the Blue Raja, and the Shoveler interview new candidates. Some of the rejected wannabe superheroes have names like Ballerina Man, Pencil Man, and PMS Avenger. Another candidate for the most memorable moment is when the Mystery Men attempt to rescue Captain Amazing - with unexpected results.
The cast, populated by familiar names and faces, is top-notch. The standouts include Ben Stiller (There's Something about Mary), William H. Macy (Fargo), Wes Studi (best known as the chief villain in The Last of the Mohicans), and Janeane Garafolo (The Truth about Cats and Dogs), all of whom give their performances with perfectly straight faces. Geoffrey Rush (Shakespeare in Love) plays a deliciously over-the-top villain who's still stuck in the disco era. And Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets) hams it up as Captain Amazing. On hand in smaller roles are Lena Olin (as Cassanova's psychiatrist) and Claire Forlani (as Mr. Furious' girlfriend).
This is an impressive debut for director Kinka Usher. Mystery Men is based on the comic book by Bob Burden, and, as with most comics transformed into movies, it boasts eye-popping set designs. Champion City is an amazing spectacle - it's too bad we aren't afforded the opportunity to see more of it. And, even though the movie runs nearly 120 minutes, it never seems that long (unlike about 90% of motion pictures with similar lengths). By combining impressive visuals and first-rate special effects with a clever, snappy script (by Neil Cuthbert), delightful performances, and fast-paced action sequences, Usher has created a summertime winner.
© 1999 James Berardinelli