|
Mystery Men (22-Jul-1999)
Director: Kinka Usher Writer: Neil Cuthbert From comic book: Mysterymen by Bob Burden (comic book series) Music by: Stephen Warbeck Producers: Lawrence Gordon; Mike Richardson; Lloyd Levin Keywords: Action/Comedy, Superheroes, Comic Book [watch trailer]
CAST | Mystery Men | | Hank Azaria | ... Blue Raja | | Janeane Garofalo | ... Bowler | | William H. Macy | ... Shoveler | | Kel Mitchell | ... Invisible Boy | | Paul Reubens | ... Spleen | | Ben Stiller | ... Furious | | Wes Studi | ... Sphinx | | | Superheroes | | Greg Kinnear | ... Captain Amazing | | | Bad Guys | | Geoffrey Rush | ... Casanova Frankenstein | | Lena Olin | ... Dr. Anabel Leek | | Eddie Izzard | ... Tony P | | Artie Lange | ... Big Red | | Pras | ... Tony C | | | Citizens | | Claire Forlani | ... Monica | | Greg Kinnear | ... Lance | | Tom Waits | ... Doc Heller | | Louise Lasser | ... Violet | | Ricky Jay | ... Vic Weems | | Jenifer Lewis | ... Lucille | | Ernie Lee Banks | ... Ted | | Gerry Becker | ... Banyon | | Ned Bellamy | ... Funk | | Corbin Bleu | ... Butch | | Philip Bolden | ... Roland | | Jake Cross | ... Thug | | Emmy Laybourne | ... Reporter | | Mason Lucero | ... Young Kid | | Monet Mazur | ... Becky Beaner | | Joel McCrary | ... McGuire | | Chris Mugglebee | ... Reporter | | Olivia Lauren Todd | ... Tracy | | Frederick Usher | ... Thug | | Kinka Usher | ... Moe | | Gayle Vance | ... Sally | | | Casanova's Gangs | | Adrian Armas | ... Disco Boy | | Gichi Gamba | ... Disco Boy | | Thomas Lake | ... Disco Boy | | Robert Musselman | ... Disco Boy | | Solo Scott | ... Disco Boy | | Erik Michael Tristan | ... Disco Boy | | James Duke | ... Big Tobacco | | Angelica Bridges | ... Furrier | | Ungela Brockman | ... Furrier | | Kimberly James | ... Furrier | | Andreea Radutoiu | ... Furrier | | Michael Bay | ... Frat Boy | | Noah Blake | ... Frat Boy | | Riki Rachtman | ... Frat Boy | | T-Mo | ... Rapper | | Cee-Lo | ... Rapper | | Gipp | ... Rapper | | Khujo | ... Rapper | | Michael Chieffo | ... Suit | | Gil Christner | ... Suit | | Carl Strand | ... Suit | | Robert Chow | ... Susie | | John Brantley Cole | ... Susie | | Steven Jang | ... Susie | | Sung Kang | ... Susie | | Sasha Bray | ... Disco Girl | | Sunny Gorg | ... Disco Girl | | Shane Johnson | ... Disco Girl | | Jennifer Lee Keyes | ... Disco Girl | | Marie Matiko | ... Disco Girl | | Jody Watley | ... Disco Girl | | | Old People's Home | | Margaret Wheeler | ... Old Lady | | Billy Beck | ... Old Man | | Robert Lieb | ... Old Man | | Florence Stone Fevergeon | ... Old Party Goer | | Sarah Kane | ... Old Party Goer | | Ed Denette | ... Old Veteran | | Nori T. Gehr | ... Back Up Singer | | Kiko Kiko | ... Back Up Singer | | Kiyoko Yamaguchi | ... Back Up Singer | | Mark Mothersbaugh | ... Band Leader | | Nancye Ferguson | ... Singer | | Katie Adams | ... Dancer | | Shirley Bowden | ... Dancer | | Helen Etting | ... Dancer | | Lu Gay | ... Dancer | | Valerie Gitter | ... Dancer | | Mae Greenstein | ... Dancer | | C. Elane Innes | ... Dancer | | Irene Kamsler | ... Dancer | | Miriam R. Lawless | ... Dancer | | Teresa MacLean | ... Dancer | | Joanne McDermott | ... Dancer | | Crystal Gaer White | ... Dancer | | | Wannabe Superheroes | | Joann Richter | ... Powerwoman | | Stacey Travis | ... Powerwoman | | Larkin Campbell | ... Supervacman | | Oliver Clark | ... Reverse Psychologist | | Jack Plotnick | ... Mr. Pups | | Dane Cook | ... Waffler | | Robert Musselman | ... Ballerinaman | | Vince Melocchi | ... Mailman | | Doug Jones | ... Pencilhead | | Vincent Bowman | ... Son of Pencilhead | | Vylette Fagerholm | ... Little Miss Vengence | | Dana Gould | ... Squeegeeman | | Branden Williams | ... Maintainer | | The Monkey Brothers | ... The Artiste | | The Monkey Brothers | ... Big Billy Hill Billy | | Gabrielle Conferti | ... PMS Avenger | | Jeff Z. Danziger | ... Radio Man | | Wilbert Sampson | ... Pig | | Kenneth W. Watts | ... Pig | | Elliot Durant III | ... Martial Artist | | Anthony Sebastian Marinelli | ... Gorilla | | Drinda E. Shaneyfelt | ... Evil Devil Woman | | Felix Castro | ... Globalman | | Michael Craig | ... Gardener | | Ronald Lasky | ... Bullfighter | | David Still | ... Stilt Man | | Jonathan Khan | ... Fisherman | | Jerry Farmer | ... Thirstyman |
REVIEWS Review by Walter Frith (posted on 12-Jul-2007) 'Mystery Men' has
all of the ingredients of a typical 1990's film that looks like an
adult comic book layered with special effects. Naturally it's all
computerized and has paid advertising seen throughout the film by the
corporate states of America. The hero, Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear)
wears his outfit plastered with ads from sponsors and the film's
bizarre visuals look in many cases like 'Batman' and 'Blade Runner' on
LSD. Now that you have an idea of how it looks, it's important to tell
you how it feels. There are moments of sporadic laughter but the film
has clumsy execution and an even clumsier tone. The way the heroes
carry out their mission is unconvincing in the face of unspeakable evil
and no one would believe for a second that they could overcome their
adversaries and save the day for the forces of good. Mr. Furious (Ben
Stiller), the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria), the Bowler (Janeane Garofalo),
the Shoveler (William H. Macy), Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell), the
Spleen (Paul Reubens) are a team of wannabe heroes. Some of them have
fake accents, some use the tools of mere mortals and in general look
like a gang of club members who got together in one afternoon and
decided to be crime fighters and went to the nearest garage sale to get
their arsenal of weapons. Forks, shovels and other oddities are used
and in the opening scene we find they need a lot of work when they try
and save a seniors home from a group of invading meanies. The original
members of the group are Mr Furious, the Blue Raja and the Shoveler.
They are joined later by the Bowler, Invisible Boy and the Spleen. The
most intriguing member of the group is the Bowler (Garofolo) who has
the skull of her dead father inside her ball and brags effortlessly
that "The guy at the pro shop did it for me." When Captain Amazing is
held captive in the evil clutches of Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey
Rush), the heroes try and save him but have to deal with the goons
aiding the chief bad guy. Casanova Frankenstein's plot is to destroy
the city that kept him in an insane asylum for many torturous years.
With his ego the size a dozen pro athletes, some would argue that
Captain Amazing's eventual fate is justice in the making while the
amateurs get all the deserving glory. Director Kinka Usher catapults
the film like a guided missile gone awry. I enjoyed some of the antics
and the way it made me laugh from time to time but overall I just
couldn't find enough to sustain a film with a running length of 121
minutes. Neil Cuthbert is the author of the film's screenplay based on
the comic book series Dark Horse created by Bob Burden. In my review of
1998's 'There's Something About Mary', I criticized the film for going
too far in its display of overly crude material and I said that Ben
Stiller was rather flat and unfunny. In 'Mystery Men' I found that his
performance as the most screwed up hero probably looked good on paper
but his execution of it is comparable to the least funny member of the
original Three Stooges. The rest of the cast members are very flat and
the fact that there are definitely too many of them makes it hard to
root for any single one of them. Throughout the history of film, many
have argued that some material just isn't capable of being filmed. Some
literature worked better in plain text on paper. Some of it looks
better as images in squares known as comic books and while special
effects have worked marvelously for many films in the nineties, just as
many of them have suffered from overkill and have passed themselves off
as flash over substance. 'Mystery Men' may be 1999's ultimate
definition of that. Visit FILM FOLLOW-UP by Walter Frith
Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile
Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications
|
