Movie Review: Mystery Men

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Some laughs and engaging story

Cons: Not nearly as clever as it pretends to be

Bottom Line:

Some super heroes

Unordinary powers

Mixed results for spoof

To Review Mystery Men, Mystery Men You Must Review

I know I first saw Mystery Men when it was in the theater.  My roommate at the time loved it, but I was less enthusiastic.  Fast forward to today, and my current roommate and a mutual friend decided to watch it, so I stuck around to give it another chance.  My opinion remains the same – mixed.

Our story is set in Champion City, a city that has been made safe by the exploits of Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear).  He’s defeated all the bad guys, and that’s left him with nothing much to do and his endorsement deals are ending as a result.  And so he conspires to get Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) released for the insane asylum so they can fight again.

But the story really centers on three wanna be heroes: Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria), and Shoveler (William H Macy).  They have unusual powers that might be helpful, but they usually cause more harm than good.  When they get wind of Casanova Frankenstein’s release, they begin to investigate, hoping this is their chance to make names for themselves.  But they need more heroes to help them.  Will they find the ones they need?  Will they gain control of their powers in time?  And where is Captain Amazing?

The movie is intended as a spoof on the superhero genre, and at times it works pretty well.  Seeing things from the point of view of the second rate squad provides some good laughs.  And you’ve got to love direct mocking of some conventions of the super hero genre, like the secret identity.

And there are some other genuine laughs.  The characters get some great lines and the actors do a wonderful job mining the script for all the comedy they can.

In fact, the actors do a great job period.  Whether it’s comedy or drama or fights, they never miss a beat.  And the special effects are excellent as well, even with how dated the movie is.  A few show their age, but for the most part they work.

However, the comedy is only hit and miss.  Some things which are intended to be funny, like Spleen’s (Paul Reubens) super power, isn’t.  Sorry, but I’m an adult, and I’ve outgrown fart jokes.  And at times, I can’t help but feeling like the movie is saying, “Look at me.  I’m being clever and funny.”  Usually, if you have to point it out, you aren’t as clever or funny as you think you are.

The plot is fairly predictable, but that’s not a bad thing.  It works, and it’s entertaining enough to keep you engaged.

It’s not that Mystery Men is bad.  It’s quite enjoyable when you’re watching it.  But it’s also not as original or creative as it thinks it is and is therefore quite forgettable when you’re done watching it.