Mystery Men (1999)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Kinka Usher

Writers (WGA):

Bob Burden (comic book series by Dark Horse)
Neil Cuthbert (written by)

Release Date:

6 August 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Fantasy

Tagline:

This summer expect the unexpected

Plot:

A group of inept amateur superheroes must try to save the day when a supervillian threatens to destroy a major superhero and the city.

Plot Keywords:

Superhero | Sphinx | Bowling | Rajah | Spleen

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Hank Azaria	...	The Blue Raja
Janeane Garofalo	...	The Bowler
William H. Macy	...	The Shoveller
Kel Mitchell	...	The Invisible Boy
Paul Reubens	...	The Spleen
Ben Stiller	...	Mr. Furious
Wes Studi	...	The Sphinx
Greg Kinnear	...	Captain Amazing / Lance Hunt
Geoffrey Rush	...	Casanova Frankenstein
Lena Olin	...	Dr. Annabel Leek
Eddie Izzard	...	Tony P.
Artie Lange	...	Big Red
Pras	...	Tony C. (as Prakazrel Michel)
Claire Forlani	...	Monica
Tom Waits	...	Dr. Heller

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for comic action violence and crude humor.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:PG (cut) | Finland:K-10 | Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:PG | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 | Netherlands:MG6

Filming Locations:

Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens - 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, USA

Company:

Dark Horse Entertainment

Trivia:

The Sphinx was a Golden Age hero who was the creation of Better Publishing; his real name was Ellsworth Forrester, and he first appeared in Exciting Comics #2. Had Better Publishing still been in existence at the time this movie came out, the filmmakers could have been sued for plagiarism. As it is, due to the fact that Better went out of business in the 1950s with no successor, the character is now in the public domain.

Goofs:

Continuity: When The Bowler first arrives at the tryouts, she removes her ball from her bag and kicks it away. Immediately after it is back at her side.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Heller: [offering an old lady candy at the Senior dance] Would you like something sweet?
Old Lady: [impressed] Oh!

Movie Connections:

References "Battlestar Galactica" (1978)

Soundtrack:

No Way

A Hoot!

Forget depth of meaning, leave your logic at the door, and have a great time with this maniacally funny, totally absurdist, ultra-campy live-action "cartoon". MYSTERY MEN is a send-up of every superhero flick you've ever seen, but its unlikely super-wannabes are so interesting, varied, and well-cast that they are memorable characters in their own right. Dark humor, downright silliness, bona fide action, and even a touching moment or two, combine to make this comic fantasy about lovable losers a true winner. The comedic talents of the actors playing the Mystery Men -- including one Mystery Woman -- are a perfect foil for Wes Studi as what can only be described as a bargain-basement Yoda, and Geoffrey Rush as one of the most off-the-wall (and bizarrely charming) villains ever to walk off the pages of a Dark Horse comic book and onto the big screen. Get ready to laugh, cheer, and say "huh?" more than once.... enjoy!