SOLVING THE MYSTERY 
OF MYSTERY MEN 

"Mystery Men" (1999)

Directed by Kinka Usher

   Twenty years has passed since "Mystery Men" bombed in theaters. That's the perfect amount of time needed for a call to arms to artsy eccentric weirdos everywhere to come together and turn this superhero comedy into a cult film. This is one of those movies that most people have not only seen, but will also tell you that it's not good. This post is not for those people. This is for the people who chose not to see this movie twenty years ago, because it was too mainstream and that's not their thing. Before I defend this oddity, let's go over the plot.

   A group of mediocre, wanna-be superheroes with questionable super powers band together to save Captain Amazing, the real hero of Champion City, who has been kidnapped by his arch nemesis, Casanova Frankenstein. Most of the film showcases the groups recruitment of new members and their struggle to learn how to be better versions of themselves. If you want a straight-forward superhero film, this isn't it. It's a comedy, but although it's clever, dare I suggest that it's not that funny. Many of the jokes feel like they would possibly be funnier to children. Maybe showing this movie to kids isn't such a bad idea. I completely understand why people don't like this film. It fails on the two platforms that it's supposed to be built on. I'm convinced that these two elements are not important in recognizing what makes this film special.

   

    Here's my sell: This is like a stoner art comedy, that you don't have to be high to like, but I'm sure it helps. The devil is in the details. This story and it's characters exists in a world captured on film that feels lived in. Nothing about the look of this movie, feels half-ass. It's a city filled with a collection of bizarre villains, gangs and amateur superheroes with odd names and gimmicks. It's set in a city that's colorful and busy, yet dark. Think "Blade Runner" meets "Batman" ('89). Visually stimulating!
   You could stare at this movie and half pay attention to it, while you enjoy spending time in it's world. The buildings, the cars, the clothes. Everything looks neat.

   The plot itself may seem like too little to justify its 121 minute running time, but the look and feel of this movie sucks you in. I enjoy spending time here. It's a place that's fun to be a fly on the wall. Although the jokes in this comedy don't always land, the dialogue and how it's delivered by it's talented ensemble cast is still fun to listen to. With repeat viewings, I'm sure some of these lines would become quotable. However, if you find this movie to be funnier than I do, who am I to tell you, you're wrong?

   It's impossible to talk about "Mystery Men" without touching upon it's cast. It's large and filled with familiar faces. Some are still famous now, while others were riding their peak of fame at the time. Here's a list of who's in this film: Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Reubens, Eddie Izzard, Greg Kinnear, Tom Waits, Geoffrey Rush, Kel Mitchell, Lena Olin, Wes Studi, Claire Forlani, Artie Lange, Pras, Louise Lasser, Ricky Jay, CeeLo Green, Riki Rachtman, Jody Watley, Mark Mothersbaugh, Dane Cook, Doug Jones, Dana Gould and Michael Bay...yes, THAT Michael Bay. Somewhere, there's a pop culture nerd who knows every name I just mentioned, without having to look it up.
   Just in case you haven't seen this film, here's who makes up the "Mystery Men":
Ben Stiller plays Mr. Furious. (His specialty is that he can get really angry.)
William H. Macy plays The Shoveler. (His specialty is hitting people with a shovel.)
Hank Azaria plays The Blue Raja. (His specialty is throwing cutlery.)
Janeane Garofalo plays The Bowler. (Her specialty is throwing a bowling ball that contains the skull and spirit of her dead father. The ball always returns to her like a boomerang.)
Paul Reubens plays The Spleen. (His specialty is being able to fart on command. He aims his butt at his intended victims to knock them out with the smell.)
Kel Mitchell plays Invisible Boy. (His special power is the ability to become invisible if no one is looking.)

   

    Lots of cult classics are low budget, independent films. It's neat when it's the opposite and a movie that was intended for wide audience appeal, would ultimately connect with a niche audience. This scenario sees a cult fan base get a big studio film because the studio put up a lot of money to make a movie that they thought would be a huge hit. When the movie bombs, all that money is still up their on the screen. For the rest of eternity, this film will look "big".
   "Mystery Men" was directed by Kinka Usher, who had never made a film before or since. Before this, he made TV commercials for Taco Bell, Nike, Pepsi and Miller Lite among others. This film almost feels like one big commercial. Perhaps that's why it's so visual-heavy. It's got all the pops and rhythm of a hip commercial. If I were to compare it to any other film, it would be if you were to inject 90's era MTV into the 1990 film, "Dick Tracy".

   This film is designed to look timeless, like you're inside an edgy comic book, but it still has the scent of the 90's all over it. From the casting of Kel Mitchell from 90's Nickelodeon fame to the song, "All Star" by Smash Mouth being prominently featured in the soundtrack.
   For the record, this film is loosely based on a comic called, "Flaming Carrot Comics". In the comic, Flaming Carrot was a founding member of the Mystery Men. His character doesn't appear in this film and Invisible Boy never appeared in the comic.

   It's more than okay that history is not kind to this film. Whatever review or post that you could read about it, will explain how it fails and warns you to stay away. That make sense to me. Those people are talking to their tribe...their huge mainstream tribe. Now, let me talk to my tribe. My tribe of eccentric, artsy, "no one seems to understand me in real life" tribe: Here's your cute, weird, beautifully designed superhero comedy. Make a cult for it. It's ready for one, now.

   Fast forward to the part where you now love this film. Ready to freak out? Universal was so convinced that this film would be a hit, they made action figures. Next stop: eBay.