Mystery Men (1999)

A group of inept amateur superheroes must try to save the day when a supervillian threatens to destroy a major superhero and the city.

Director:

Kinka Usher

Writers:

Neil Cuthbert, Bob Burden (comic book series)

Stars:

Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hank Azaria	...	Blue Raja
Janeane Garofalo	...	Bowler
William H. Macy	...	Shoveler
Kel Mitchell	...	Invisible Boy
Paul Reubens	...	Spleen
Ben Stiller	...	Furious
Wes Studi	...	Sphinx
Greg Kinnear	...	Captain Amazing / Lance
Geoffrey Rush	...	Casanova Frankenstein
Lena Olin	...	Dr. Anabel Leek
Eddie Izzard	...	Tony P
Artie Lange	...	Big Red
Pras Michel	...	Tony C (as Prakazrel Michel)
Claire Forlani	...	Monica
Tom Waits	...	Doc Heller

Storyline

In order to generate more endorsement revenue, Champion City's resident superhero Captain Amazing arranges for the release of supervillain Casanova Frankenstein, only to be captured by him. The city's fate rests in the hands of seven loser superhero wannabes: the spoon-flinging Blue Rajah, the shovel-wielding Shoveler, the possessed bowling ball-hurling Bowler, the flatulent Spleen, the only-when-nobody's-looking Invisible Boy, the mysterious Sphinx, and the perpetually-angry Mr. Furious.

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Plot Keywords:

male butt clench | troubled production | good versus evil | evil man | image comics | 

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Taglines:

They're not your average superheroes.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for comic action violence and crude humor

Details

Official Sites:

Bob Burden Productions (Comic Book) Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hombres misteriosos

Filming Locations:

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens - 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,017,865, 8 August 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$29,655,590, 3 October 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Golar Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of Janeane Garofalo's character's father, Carmine, is also the name of Garofalo's father.

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Goofs

In the Chinese bar after the limousine attack, the Bowler's ball keeps changing position in different shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Heller: [offering an old lady candy at the Senior dance] Would you like something sweet?
Old Lady: [impressed] Oh!

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Crazy Credits

Dockers Khakis are the official khakis of Champion City.

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Alternate Versions

UK video version is cut to get a PG rating. A double ear clap is removed, as well as the sound of a head-butt. The UK cinema version was uncut with the same rating.

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Connections

References Citizen Kane (1941)

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Soundtracks

Hello Dolly
Written by Jerry Herman
Performed by Petula Clark
Courtesy of GNP Crescendo Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with Celebrity Licensing Inc.

User Reviews

Fun send-up of comic superheroes

Though I can't claim to be a comic book fanatic, I have read my share, so I guess I'm part of the audience of this film, and I wasn't disappointed. It does run out of steam near the end, it's almost overflowing with ideas, and it seems like Lena Olin, one of my favorite actresses, was left on the cutting room floor. Also, a little of Hank Azaria's Blue Raja can go a long way. Still, it's easy to forgive all of these faults when you have a film which is this much fun. All the actors seem to be having a blast with their roles, especially William H. Macy as the straight-arrow Shoveler, and Janeane Garofalo as The Bowler. And unlike some, I found the design of the city to make the joke even funnier. I also liked how disco was the music of choice of the bad guys; somehow, it seemed appropriate.