Mystery Men (1999)
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Reviews Counted: 103
Fresh: 62 | Rotten: 41
Absurd characters and quirky gags are brought to life by a talented cast, providing this superhero spoof with lots of laughs.
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Critic Reviews: 30
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 11
Absurd characters and quirky gags are brought to life by a talented cast, providing this superhero spoof with lots of laughs.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 120,041
Movie Info
Can seven not-so-superheroes save a city of the future? Based on the comic book series created by Bob Burden, Mystery Men is set in the teeming metropolis of Champion City, where noble superhero Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) keeps the peace and sees that justice is done. When Captain Amazing mysteriously disappears, his archenemy Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) sees his opportunity to seize power and bend the city to his evil will, with his associate Dr. Annabel Leek (Lena Olin) at his
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Cast
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Ben Stiller
Mr. Furious -
Hank Azaria
Blue Raja -
William H. Macy
Shoveler -
Paul Reubens
Spleen -
Janeane Garofalo
The Bowler -
Kel Mitchell
Invisible Boy -
Wes Studi
The Sphinx -
Greg Kinnear
Captain Amazing -
Geoffrey Rush
Casanova Frankenstein -
Claire Forlani
Monica -
Tom Waits
Dr. Heller -
Eddie Izzard
Tony Pompadour -
Lena Olin
Dr. Annabel Leek -
Ricky Jay
Vic Weems -
Louise Lasser
Violet -
Sung Kang
Susie -
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Mystery Men Trailer & Photos
All Critics (103) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (41) | DVD (22)
The characters have been designed to make fun of themselves, disguising the craft of writer Neil Cuthbert and director Kinka Usher in getting us to laugh at them.
Usher's amiable spoof of superhero movies takes a brave stab at rewriting the mythology from the inside out, with lots of witty, mildly subversive stuff.
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.
This bunch achieves peaks of sublime nuttiness.
Surprisingly, this spoof's heart is genuinely warm.
A long, shapeless, undisciplined mess!
Even with its super cast, the slow-moving 'Mystery Men' falters in its attempt to spoof comic book heroes.
It is good that the film has charm, for after a certain point it doesn't necessarily have anything else.
Witty comic-book story is edgy, with lots of potty humor.
Hugely entertaining -- especially for those with a thing for superheroes.
Fails to come up with worthy gags and one-liners for the able cast.
An instant cult comedy that doesn't walk or talk like anything else out there.
How many laughs can you get out of a handful of one-joke characters? Well, if your ensemble contains the talents of Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria and Ben Stiller, the answer is: a lot.
The Just-Us League of America
So much time is spent in getting to know everyone, the jokes are few and far between when they should be fast and furious.
If as a kid you ever put on a costume and imagined you were a superhero, you should have a perfectly good time with this movie.
Director Usher should have spent a little more time in the editing room.
...better than sitting at home on a hot summer night watching the sitcoms. Or maybe it's exactly like sitting at home on a hot summer night watching the sitcoms
Stiller, Macy, and Garofalo are a joy to watch.
A desperately hit-and-miss affair.
As hip as this dud thinks it is, it's not fooling me.
The movie is so slow and so obsessed with its own jokes that it is ultimately disappointing.
Audience Reviews for Mystery Men
Super Reviewer
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- Spleen: [talks about his curse] I blamed it on an old gypsy woman who happened to be passing by. BIG! MISTAKE!
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- Mr. Furious: I don't need a compass to know which way the wind shines.
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- Shoveler: Don't start that again. Lance Hunt wears glasses, Captain amazing doesn't wear glasses.
- Mr. Furious: He takes them off when he transforms.
- Shoveler: That doesn't make any sense. he wouldn't be able to see.
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- Mr. Furious: [talking about Carmine the Bowler] Seems there was a little controversy there regarding your father's death.
- The Bowler: Yes, the police said he fell down an elevator shaft. Onto some bullets.
- Blue Raja: You know, I've always suspected a bit of foul play there.
- The Bowler: As have I.
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- Mr. Furious: Frack you later, Frankenpuss!
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- Shoveler: We've got a blind date with destiny, and it looks like she's ordered the lobster.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| How ahead of it's time was this movie? | 46 days ago | 0 |
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