Simply Perfect

Don't Believe the Hype

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Mystery MenWhen assembling a superhero team remember to get membership fees upfront.Not to say all caped crusaders are cheap, but the ones in this comedy sure are.With Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) keeping Champion City crime free it leaves little for other heroes like Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), The Shoveler (William H. Macy) and The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) to do. That is until Captain Amazing disappears and his old rival (Geoffrey Rush) reappears.Now the second-stringers must expand their roster to thwart the villain and save the city.Twenty-years too early, this lampoon of comic book troupes would be at home in today's movie market more than 1999's. However, that doesn't stop this adaptation of the underground comic from being a hilarious critique of super-teams that still holds true.Incidentally, one surefire way of getting yourself on the Justice League is by having the same blood type as Batman. Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

It's hard to imagine a year go by where you don't see someone in a latex body-stocking flying through the sky while buildings crumble all around them. Or, in other words, a superhero movie. Marvel's dominance reigns supreme these days and DC does its best to mop up any gap in the filmic calendar year that Marvel don't already have a stranglehold on. However, back in the 'olden days' of 1999, just dressing someone up in a silly costume wasn't enough to guarantee a billion dollars at the Box Office. That's probably why 'Mystery Men' never really made much of an impact back then and only really fills a niche gap in the market today. We're introduced to a world of superheroes, or rather ONE superhero – the unsubtly-titled 'Captain Amazing' – a man who has dedicated his life to protecting the city from wrong-doers and has therefore enjoyed all the lucrative benefits that come with it, i.e. corporate sponsorship and women. In fact, he's protected the city so well that there's hardly a super villain left worthy enough to take him on. So, while he spends much of his time as his (completely unrecognisable, glasses-wearing) alter-ego, it's up to another band of 'heroes' to mop up the few thieves still daring to snatch old ladies' purses. However, these heroes are anything but 'super.' Their 'powers' are unusual at best. We have a man who gets angry to the point of, er, being very angry. A man who puts on a fake British accent while he throws forks and a guy who hits people with a shovel. Not a Batarang to be seen among them! Nowadays, when you look at the cast of 'Mystery Men' it almost reads like a who's who of Hollywood. Yet, back then all the stars seemed to be faces who you kind of knew because you'd seen them before in… oh, you know… it was him out of that thing on TV. You have Ben Stiller, William H Macy, Greg Kinnear, Eddie Izzard and Geoffrey Rush to name but a few. It's a pretty impressive ensemble, so I always wondered why it was never bigger than it seemed to be. I guess at the time people may have thought it was a superhero movie and, due to the public seemingly thinking that all superhero movies were like 'Batman and Robin' they stayed away, plus Ben Stiller's star hadn't quite peaked back then, so it couldn't ride on his future post 'Something About Mary' popularity. Plus it might be difficult to market, as, on first inspection, you could be mistaken for thinking it was a 'proper' superhero film, i.e. complete with giant budget and epic action set-pieces. Then again, if you look closely at the silly costumes and the fact that one woman is using the skull of her father inside a 'magic' bowling ball as a weapon, you could be forgiven for thinking that it's a straight comedy. However, again, it may have many funny moments, but you wouldn't call it a 'laugh-a-minute' ride.'Mystery Men' is one of those films that dips in and out of various genres. Personally, I'd call it a 'satire of the superhero genre.' Now, I enjoy both DC and Marvel's current crops so I like to think I'm well up on the various conventions and clichés associated with the genre. Therefore, when I watch 'Mystery Men' I can appreciate how much work has gone into lampooning it. However, when it was released the genre it was parodying wasn't established enough to really sell this movie. If you're looking for something that takes a satirical, yet loving, swipe at all things superhero-related, then you should definitely check this out. Don't expect total action. Don't expect outright comedy. Expect a subtle blend of the two. If you've ever read the cult comic 'Astro City' you'll know the tone of this film.

Mystery Men (1999): Dir: Kinka Usher / Cast: Ben Stiller, Geoffrey Rush, Greg Kinnear, William H. Macy, Claire Forlani: A celebration of the ordinary man taking a stand against a corrupt society. There is Mr. Furious, played by Ben Stiller who is empowered by his temper. William H. Macy plays the Shoveler who fights using a shovel. Hank Azaria plays a master of silver wear. The Bowler uses a swift bowling ball that shelters her father's skull. Spleen has lethal gas. Invisible Boy is pretty self explanatory. They are all taught by Sphinx who is given many of the funniest lines. Story regards the capture of Captain Amazing by the evil Cassanova Frankenstein leaving our amateur heroes to save the day. Overlong cartoon violence directed by Kinka Usher who exploits every cliché within reach. Greg Kinnear is hilarious as Captain Amazing who solved all crimes and is now reduced to promotional ads. Geoffrey Rush as Cassanova discovers the change in culture. Ben Stiller, William H. Macy and Azaria play modern heroes who play off great comic timing and chemistry. Claire Forlani is written as the standard love interest and damsel as oppose to a secret hero herself. The climax isn't as effective as it should be namely because the humour starts to drain out. On the positive end the premise is unique, and the art direction and visuals are flashy and exciting in this wonderfully realized spoof. Score: 8 ½ / 10

The year is 1999 and the place is Champion City and all of the super villains are either dead or behind bars, so in a city over run with super heroes, there is no work. So the greatest super hero, Captain Amazing, decides to manipulate a few things to keep his sponsorship, and releases Cassanova Frankinstein. Unfortunately Cassanova gets the better of him and kills him so it is up to a hopeless trio: the Blue Rajah, The Shovel, and Mr Furious, to get him back. Unfortunately they are hopeless so they recruit some more, landing up with the Invisible Man, the Spleen, and the Bowler's daughter. Then the Sphinx, a mysterious figure, turns up to train them.This movie, which is actually based on a comic series of the same name, is a farce of super hero movies. The mad inventor emphasises that all of his inventions are non-lethal, the Blue Rajah throws spoons and forks, but not knives, the Shovel is married with kids and his wife tries to tell him that maybe the superhero business is not cut out for him, and nobody finds Mr Furious threatening, at all.It is a cute little movie and deals with these mystery men's right of ascension. Now that Captain Amazing is dead, a new lot of super heroes are needed, and unfortunately all they have are these guys. The Blue Rajah lives with his mother and Mr Furious is trying too hard to be something that he is not. In the end, when Mr Furious comes to terms with who he really is, a guy named Roy, then he becomes Mr Furious.This is a pretty cool movie, and I do recommend it, but it is not one that stands out so much that one would want to see it again and again. I guess there is a little criticism here, but in the end any comment that it would want to make, simply falls down into a pool of laughs and weirdness. It may be weird, but it is not the weird that makes me interested in the movie.