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:

We're not your classic heroes, we're the other guys.

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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

Luis Guzmán played the part of a Mexican restaurant owner but his scenes were deleted from the final print.

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Goofs

Pencil Head's costume appears to have the initials "PM" on it. This seems to suggest his original name was "Pencil Man".

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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

Referenced in The Truth About Jane (2000)

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Soundtracks

All Star
Written by Greg Camp
Performed by Smash Mouth
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Under License from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

A Hoot!

Forget depth of meaning, leave your logic at the door, and have a great time with this maniacally funny, totally absurdist, ultra-campy live-action "cartoon". MYSTERY MEN is a send-up of every superhero flick you've ever seen, but its unlikely super-wannabes are so interesting, varied, and well-cast that they are memorable characters in their own right. Dark humor, downright silliness, bona fide action, and even a touching moment or two, combine to make this comic fantasy about lovable losers a true winner. The comedic talents of the actors playing the Mystery Men -- including one Mystery Woman -- are a perfect foil for Wes Studi as what can only be described as a bargain-basement Yoda, and Geoffrey Rush as one of the most off-the-wall (and bizarrely charming) villains ever to walk off the pages of a Dark Horse comic book and onto the big screen. Get ready to laugh, cheer, and say "huh?" more than once.... enjoy!