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It seemed like a film formula that just couldn't lose.
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Oh, and throw in Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) for good measure. At worst, he'll guarantee the flick a spot on the "cult favorites" shelf.
I must admit, the first time I saw the commercial, I bought into it. I was sure it was going to be a must-see, the perfect antithesis to Wild Wild West, hype-worthy in a good way, destined to be a hit in spite of itself.
Unfortunately, if you've seen the commercial (and that "All-Star" video by Smashmouth, featuring an ungodly amount of footage from the film), you've seen a sizable chunk of the good parts of "Mystery Men."
The story, actually, had potential. There's a city that's virtually thug free because of Mr. Amazing (Kinnear), and a handful of wanna-bes clumsily trying to break into the superhero market. While Mr. Amazing — having done his job too well — laments the lack of worthy foes, the hodgepodge group of aspiring crimefighters laments... well, basically everything.
Mr. Amazing eventually gets more than he bargained for in mega-villain Cassanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), who captures him and begins plotting the city's destruction. Now the also-rans have to step up to the plate and save the day.
The "Mystery Men," unfortunately, are keepers of profoundly non-fatal abilities. The Blue Raja (Azaria) flings silverware (except knives), The Shoveler (Macy) wields a shovel and The Bowler (Garofalo) a bowling ball. Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell) is invisible when no one's looking, and The Spleen (Reubens, perhaps fittingly) fights with ferocious flatulance. And then there's Mr. Furious (Stiller), who's known simply for his uncontrollable temper.
Yet, despite these over-engineered eccentricities, "Mystery Men" fails to take full advantage of them, relying instead on a steady stream of wry one-liners and a small bag of three or four gags that are used far too often.
To its credit, there are a handful of gutbusting moments — whether you're into verbal or physical humor, there's a good bite or two of both. And it's always fun to watch Stiller and Garofalo break out and do their thing, even if it was in every other scene. Indeed, the script just drips with Garofalo's style, and if you're a fan, you'll pick up on the quick-fire quips that others may miss.
The biggest tragedy of "Mystery Men" is that it packs in the talent so tight, much of it simply squirts out the side, wasted.
William Macy, arguably the most capable actor in the cast, is mostly left playing the hapless straight man. Azaria, who could have carried the film's comedy as well as Stiller and Garofolo, just begged for better lines. Wes Studi, as the "mysterious" Sphinx, never comfortably crosses the line from melodrama to comedy.
The women — save Garofalo, of course — fared even worse. Lena Olin, veteran vamp, can barely get a growl in edgewise as Frankenstein's "sidekick." Claire Forlani is similarly underplayed as the sole "romantic interest," a plot element that could have easily been left out given how weakly it was developed.
Based on a comic book or not, "Mystery Men" mostly left me wanting more — more comedic exploration of things only touched on in the film that seemed rich with material. Costumes adorned with sponsors' logos like stock cars? Mid-level superheroes living with their mothers and working crappy day jobs?
As it stands, "Mystery Men" tries and mostly fails to be everything from a Batman parody to a cliché lesson for life ("just be yourself!"). The laughs are there, but so few and far between, you'd be just as happy catching it as an ABC Sunday Night Movie.
You can read this review and other reviews on the same topic at Epinions.Com. Check out my Epinions.com profile page for other reviews and more details.
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