Mystery Men is a 1999
comedy filmComedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
based on a
Dark HorseDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
comic book series feature in
Flaming Carrot ComicsFlaming Carrot Comics is a surrealist comic book series by cartoonist Bob Burden. The character first appeared in Visions #1, a magazine published by the Atlanta Fantasy Fair in 1979. Flaming Carrot can be seen as a parody of various aspects of the superhero genre...
by
Bob BurdenBob Burden is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics and the Mystery Men.-Early life:Burden grew up in the industrial rust belt of the Northeast United States...
,
directedA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars
William H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
,
Ben StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
, and
Hank AzariaHenry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
as a trio of lesser
superheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es with fairly unimpressive superpowers who are required to save the day. The film's two great strengths are considered to be the art direction and the dialogue, much of which was improvised by the cast. Despite its list of stars and the critical praise,
Mystery Men was widely considered to be a flop with a final box office gross of just $29,762,011 domestically and $3,699,000 outside the USA.
It has since built a
cult followingA cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
Plot
In the fictional
metropolisA metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
of Champion City, three men (Mr. Furious, The Shoveler, and the Blue Raja) attempt to make a name for themselves as superheroes, but find themselves upstaged by the well-sponsored Captain Amazing. However, Amazing is finding that his skill at capturing villains has left the city with virtually no crime, and his sponsors are threatening to end their deals. In order to create a need for a superhero, Amazing uses his
alter egoAn alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, the billionaire lawyer Lance Hunt, to argue for the release of the insane supervillain Casanova Frankenstein. The plan backfires; once reunited with Tony P and his Disco Boys, Frankenstein blows up the insane asylum, captures Amazing, and sets his sights on creating a
doomsday deviceA doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
: the "Psycho-frakulator" which can bend reality. Mr. Furious, while spying on Frankenstein's mansion, discovers Amazing's abduction, and tells the others.
The three realize they need more allies, and through word-of-mouth and try-outs, they bring aboard The Spleen, Invisible Boy, and the Bowler. The newly formed team "assaults" Casanova, which only succeeds in annoying him and damaging his car. While celebrating their victory, Tony P and his Disco Boys nearly kill them, but they are saved by the Sphinx. The Sphinx begins to train them, annoying Mr. Furious with his methods. The also recruit mad scientist Dr. Heller who specializes in non-lethal weaponry.
The group breaks into Casanova's mansion in an attempt to save Captain Amazing, while Casanova gathers the various gangs of the city. In their attempts to free him, they inadvertently kill Amazing. Without Amazing, the team believes there is no way they can save the city. The Shoveler convinces everyone that it's their time and to say goodbye to their loved ones. Mr. Furious, feeling that both his position of authority and his apparent lack of powers are in question, finds solace in talking with Monica, a diner waitress, who tells him to just be himself. Mr. Furious rejoins the team, and they assault the mansion, subduing most of the henchmen with their weapons and using their negligible powers to surprisingly good effect. Unfortunately, as the heroes approach Frankenstein, he reveals that he has kidnapped Monica, then proceeds to activate the Psycho-frakulator and wreak havoc upon the city. As the team figures out how to stop the device, Mr. Furious takes on Frankenstein. After being taunted by and taking a beating from Frankenstein, Mr. Furious unleashes his inner rage and actually manages to fight effectively. He defeats Frankenstein, who is thrown into the core of the Psycho-frakulator and killed by its reality-bending powers. The rest of the team helps the Bowler use her bowling ball to destroy the Psycho-frakulator. They escape the mansion as the device implodes.
As the film closes, the team is interviewed by reporters, begging to know what their team name is. As they argue amongst themselves, one reporter states "Well, whoever they are, champion city owes a great debt of gratitude to these 'Mystery Men'", but the others are too busy arguing to hear it.
The Heroes
Ben StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
as
Mr. Furious. Mr. Furious' claimed power is super-strength, activated only when he becomes incredibly angry; however, this claim is only verified by an unsubstantiated report of him having once lifted a city bus (later described by Mr. Furious as "more of a push", aided by the bus driver who "kind of had his foot on the gas, just in the beginning"), and his final defeat of Casanova Frankenstein at the end of the film. His real name is Roy, and he works at a junk yard, which is where the team prepare the Herkimer Battle Jitney.
William H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
as
The Shoveler. His real name is Eddie. His special ability is his finesse in using a
shovelA shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Shovels are extremely common tools that are used extensively in agriculture, construction, and gardening....
in a broad variety of ways. His choice of lifestyle causes consternation with his wife, Lucille (
Jenifer LewisJenifer Jeanette Lewis is an American film and television actress and singer.-Early life:Lewis was born in Kinloch, Missouri, to a nurse's aid mother and a factory worker father. She attended college at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri...
) and children.
Hank AzariaHenry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
as
The Blue Raja. His real name is Jeffrey. The blue Raja has the ability to throw any
silverwareHousehold silver or silverware includes dishware, cutlery and other household items made of sterling, Britannia or Sheffield plate silver. The term is often extended to items made of stainless steel...
accurately as a tool or weapon, but refuses to throw knives, claiming that "you can't try and stop a crime by committing an even worse one." Though he speaks in a
BritishBritish English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
accent during missions, he is actually a middle-aged American adult that still lives with his mother, Violet (
Louise LasserLouise Lasser is an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She was married to Woody Allen and appeared in several of his films.-Personal life:...
), and attempts to keep his superhero persona secret from her. His initial costume does not have any blue in it. Besides his costume, another running gag is his puns usually refer to forks (ex: I say, what the fork.)
Kel MitchellKel Johari Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, singer, rapper, screenwriter, producer, parodist, dancer and musician. He was best known for his work as a regular cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, his portrayal of Kel Kimble on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel,...
as
Invisible Boy. Invisible Boy can become invisible, but only when no one (including himself) is looking. This later proves useful, as gun turrets with motion sensors do not fire on invisible people. However, when his power is used, his clothes fall off (meaning it's more along the lines of becoming intangible.) When he becomes visible again, he's naked.
Paul ReubensPaul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
as
The Spleen. Cursed by a gypsy after he blamed the passing gas on her while walking along with a group of friends, The Spleen can aim his super-powered
flatulenceFlatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
to take out his targets, but smells bad at all times. Talks with a
lispA lisp is a speech impediment, historically also known as sigmatism. Stereotypically, people with a lisp are unable to pronounce sibilants , and replace them with interdentals , though there are actually several kinds of lisp...
and has
wartA wart is generally a small, rough growth, typically on a human’s hands or feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. They are caused by a viral infection, specifically by human papillomavirus 2 and 7. There are as many as 10 varieties of warts, the most...
s on his face. He has a crush on "The Bowler".
Janeane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
as
The Bowler. Her real name is Carol. She is actually the daughter of the original Carmine the Bowler, seeking revenge on Tony P (
Eddie IzzardEdward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
) for the murder of her father (who in the report claimed "died when he fell down an elevator shaft, onto some bullets"). She has had her father's skull embedded into the center of a bowling ball. She appears to communicate with the spirit of her father, which inhabits the ball, allowing it to fly when thrown by his daughter. It also leads to awkward arguments between the two while the rest of the team can only watch her shout.
Wes StudiWesley "Wes" Studi is a Cherokee actor, who has earned notability for his portrayal of Native Americans in film. He has appeared in well-received Academy Award-winning films, such as Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, the award-winning Geronimo: An...
as
The Sphinx. One of the world's most respected superheroes, the Sphinx is "terribly mysterious", and has the power to cut guns in half with his mind. He offers the rest of the team advice, though most of it comes as predictable ("Until you learn to master your rage, your rage will become your master.") and labored, often nonsensical
antimetaboleIn rhetoric, antimetabole is the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed grammatical order...
("When you learn to balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack.").
Villains
Geoffrey RushGeoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
as
Casanova Frankenstein. An evil genius and longtime rival of Captain Amazing. While incarcerated in an insane asylum following his initial defeat by Amazing, he learned the mechanics of a reality-bending device known as a "Psycho-frakulator," which he constructs upon his release and uses to attack Champion City. He is the film's main antagonist
Eddie IzzardEdward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
as
Tony P. Frankenstein's second-in-command. Leader of the Disco Boys, he refuses to accept that the
discoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
era came to an end: "Disco is NOT dead, disco is LIFE!" He is armed with a can of highly flammable hairspray that he uses to attack his enemies as well as a heavily modified
Taurus PT92The Taurus PT92 is a double action/single action, 9x19mm Parabellum, double-stack magazine, semi-automatic, short recoil action pistol manufactured by Taurus in the former Beretta factory in São Paulo, Brazil....
pistol. He is responsible for killing The Bowler's father by "making him fall down an elevator shaft, onto some bullets."
Prakazrel Michel as
Tony C. Tony P's second-in-command of the Disco Boys.
Artie LangeArthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
as
Big Red. Leader of the Red-Eyes, whom Blue Raja, The Shoveler, and Mr. Furious attempt to defeat in the beginning.
Others
Greg KinnearGregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
as
Captain Amazing/
Lance Hunt. A legendary superhero who has kept Champion City safe for years, and whose suit displays a number of logos of corporate sponsors. He is disliked by the Mystery Men because he constantly shows them up. Captain Amazing is the alter ego of billionaire lawyer Lance Hunt. Lance Hunt's sole physical difference from Captain Amazing is a pair of glasses. That leads Mr. Furious at one point to guess Amazing's true identity, but he is dismissed by his comrades: "He takes them off when he transforms." "That doesn't make any sense, he wouldn't be able to see!"
Ricky JayRichard Jay Potash , better known by the stage name Ricky Jay, is an American stage magician, actor, and writer. He is a sleight-of-hand expert and is notable for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter.-Life and career:...
as
Victor Weems, Captain Amazing's publicist, who manages all of his endorsements that keep the Captain famous and initially inspires him to challenge Frankenstein once more.
Tom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
as
Dr. A. Heller. Dr. Heller is a scientist who designs weapons such as the "blame thrower" and the "shrinker". The Mystery Men almost dismiss him as a lunatic when he tells them that his weapons are strictly non-lethal, until he demonstrates a "canned tornado" on the Spleen. He frequents Champion City nursing homes, "for the ladies." He is rather eccentric, but aids the Mystery Men by providing them with weapons and outfitting their Herkimer Battle Jitney with a large magnet.
Claire ForlaniClaire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
as
Monica, the waitress at the diner where the original team of three eat. Though she initially passes on Mr. Furious' attempts to flirt with her, she warms up to him. Unfortunately she tells him to "be himself", while implying that this means
not being Mr Furious. This temporarily removes his anger and leaves him less effective in battle.
Cameos during the superhero tryout scene include
Dane CookDane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
as
The Waffler,
Doug JonesDoug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Fantastic Four: Rise...
as
Pencil Head, and
Dana GouldDana John Gould is an American comedian and comedy writer born and raised in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His upbringing and his extended family lent themselves to his stand-up routine, which has been seen on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central, among other places.-Career:After high school, he studied...
as
Squeegee Man. Cameos at Casanova's mansion include two frat boys played by action director
Michael BayMichael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
(he is the one who asks "Can we bring the
brewskiesBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
?"), and
Riki RachtmanRiki Rachtman is an American television and radio personality.-Rock scene:At the age of 16, Rachtman auditioned to sing in the band the Angry Samoans, and the next year he was in a band called the Fairlanes. In the late 1980s, Rachtman was lead vocalist of the L.A. Metal Act "Virgin"...
, former host of MTV's
Headbanger's Ball.
Goodie MobGoodie Mob is a Hip Hop act based in Atlanta, Georgia that formed in 1991 and currently consists of members Cee-Lo Green, Khujo, T-Mo and Big Gipp.-History:The group's name acts as a double backronym...
appears as the "Not-So-Goodie-Mob". Cee Lo Green can also be seen playing one of the evil gangsters.
Basis
The movie was loosely based on the independent comic book series
Flaming Carrot ComicsFlaming Carrot Comics is a surrealist comic book series by cartoonist Bob Burden. The character first appeared in Visions #1, a magazine published by the Atlanta Fantasy Fair in 1979. Flaming Carrot can be seen as a parody of various aspects of the superhero genre...
by
Bob BurdenBob Burden is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics and the Mystery Men.-Early life:Burden grew up in the industrial rust belt of the Northeast United States...
, who also gets
Writers Guild of AmericaThe Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
writing credits, though some characters were greatly changed from the original material. The Flaming Carrot was a member of the team and with the exception of Captain Amazing and Invisible Boy, all the heroes from the film appeared at least once as members (though there were many others as well – the team in the comics had a high casualty rate). Casanova Frankenstein also once battled The Flaming Carrot.
Soundtrack
- "The Mystery Men Mantra" – Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
- Appears in the opening scene of the film.
- "All Star
"All Star" is a single by Smash Mouth, released in 1999.It was featured on their album Astro Lounge and is one of the group's most successful songs. The music video featured cameos of William H...
" – Smash MouthSmash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
- Appears in various scenes throughout the film, including the closing credits.
- "Planet Claire" – B-52s
- Plays in diner scene during first appearance of The Spleen (played by Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
).
- "No More Heroes
No More Heroes is a single by The Stranglers from the same-named album No More Heroes. It is one of the Stranglers' most successful singles , peaking at #8 in the Official UK Top 40 charts...
" – Violent FemmesViolent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
(Originally by The StranglersThe Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
)
- Appears in the superhero tryout scene.
- "O Mio Babbino Caro
"O mio babbino caro" is a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi , by Giacomo Puccini, to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is sung by Lauretta after tensions between her father Schicchi and the family of Rinuccio, the boy she loves, have reached a breaking point that threatens to...
" – Miriam GauciMiriam Gauci is a Maltese operatic soprano, particularly associated with lyric Italian roles.- Life and career :Born in Malta, where she began her voice training, she completed her studies in the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi of Milan, Italy...
(Composed by Giacomo PucciniGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
)
- Appears in the skunk sex scene.
- "Gangsters" – Citizen King (Originally by The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
)
- Appears in the scene where Casanova addresses various gangs.
- "Who Are Those Mystery Men" – Kel
Kel Johari Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, singer, rapper, screenwriter, producer, parodist, dancer and musician. He was best known for his work as a regular cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, his portrayal of Kel Kimble on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel,...
and the M.A.F.T. Emcees featuring Romaine Jones
- Appears in the closing credits.
Reception
The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a score of 60% based on 101 reviews.
Jonathan Romney said that it was "a desperately hit-and-miss affair".
Michael Dequina said that it "fails to come up with worthy gags and one-liners for the able cast".
Steve Murray gave it a negative review, saying "Mystery Men is like its hapless heroes. It's a wannabe that has the best intentions – including a pronounced anti-gun stance – but none of the knack it takes to save the day, or itself."
British television channel Film4 gave it a positive review, saying it was "Hugely entertaining – especially for those with a thing for superheroes."
Nell Minow said it was a "Decent depiction of post-modern comic-book story."
Rob Gonsalves said it was "An instant cult comedy that doesn't walk or talk like anything else out there."
External links
- Mystery Men at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- Mystery Men at Superheroes Lives