usually when a blockbuster comes out , it 's loaded with effects , stars , bad scripts , and plenty of action .
mystery men may contain an all - star cast , and efects , but the clever script and characters are what really works , which is rare to see this year .
the film is based upon the comic book series " the flaming carrot " by bob burden , in which 3 wanna be super heroes try and fight crime , only to be out done by the real hero of champion city , captain amazing
( greg kinnear ) .
things go a little haywire , when the sinister casanova frankenstein ( geoffrey rush ) is released into the city , where he captures captain amazing , and plans to wreak havoc upon champion city .
well , the trio decide to take matters in their own hands , by saving the city , but first they need some assitance .
this is where the film takes a turn for the better .
in the beggining , there were only 3 wanna be heroes .
" blue raja ( hank azaria ) , " mr . furious ( ben stiller ) and " the shoveller ( william h. macy ) .
sure they were enterataining , but their acts grew old fast .
that is until they aquire " invisible boy " ( kel mitchell ) , and " the bowler " ( janeane garafalo ) and " mr . splein " ( paul reubens ) ,
2 of which rescue the film from becoming a disastorous mess .
thankfully , the original 3 heroes become amusing , with some support of reuben and garfalo on screen .
the whole premise is rather ridiculous , but packs a few punches to keep interest . for one , the film is considerably clever .
it literally pokes fun at super hero films , like batman and robin , superman etc .
in fact , many scenes are similar to batman and robin , including the opening sequence ,
only altered in a humorous and superior way .
a part of the cleverness comes from the cast .
sometimes a film with such talent is overblown ,
but the acting is what keeps it alive here .
while azaria and macy were enteratining , 2 characters really stood out .
one was paul reuben .
no matter how disgusting or revolting " mr . splein " may be , you still ca n't help but laugh .
it ' so incredibly moronic
, it 's just a riot watching reuben relieve himself of bodily functions .
janeane garafalo also was an interesting character .
she seemed to be the most outgoing and convincing character on screem , due to her enthusiasm , that kept the film flowing .
men is worth seeing alone , for those 2 troubled heroes .
on the downside , a few of the heroes and especially the villain never really lift off .
kel mitchell and geoffrey rush , were both utterly useless .
their parts were so limited , they 'd be lucky at all to be on screen for more than 20 minutes .
ben stiller too was wasted , mostly because of his unlikeable power and dialogue .
none of these characters get a rise out of anybody , but happily they are lost in the charming flow of the film . as far as the budget goes , it was wisely spent on the cast , not the effects .
while the set designs and action all look nice
, i 'm glad there was a seperate aspect , that the film focused on , and for that i applaud .
slow at times , and rather pointless , mystery men still delivers .
it forgets about money making , because it 's not likely to make a bundle like it 's proceeders , and that 's what works .
stupid ?
maybe , but for once i 'm not disappointed .
no one expected an intelligent film , but you get a film that s wit captures your attention and makes you forget this miserable year .
Output: P