Mystery Men (1999)

A group of inept amateur superheroes must try to save the day when a supervillain 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 / Jeff
Janeane Garofalo	...	Bowler
William H. Macy	...	Shoveler / Eddy
Kel Mitchell	...	Invisible Boy
Paul Reubens	...	Spleen
Ben Stiller	...	Furious / Roy
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 super villain Casanova Frankenstein, only to be captured by him. The city's fate rests in the hands of seven loser superhero wannabes: the fork-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:

troubled production | action hero | retirement home | superhero spoof | bowling ball | 

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Taglines:

This summer expect the unexpected

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

A subtle reference to William Shatner: once, while recording lines for the video game Star Trek: Judgment Rites (1993), Shatner pronounced "sabotage" strangely and was asked twice to repeat the line. He finally blurted, "Don't tell me how to act - it sickens me!" In Mystery Men (1999), this line is repeated by Ben Stiller. Later, Janeane Garofalo says to Stiller, "You say 'sabotage', I say 'saboTAGE'," another Shatner quote from the Star Trek recording session.

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Goofs

Time of the clock in the background of the room during Casanova's trial.

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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

The film title appears in the sky above Champion City.

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Alternate Versions

PG-rated home video versions in the UK were cut by the BBFC to get a PG rating (although the UK cinema version was passed uncut with the same rating). A double ear clap was removed, as well as the (apparent) sound of a head-butt. The film was finally passed uncut with a 12 rating in January 2020.

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Connections

Spoofs Superman (1978)

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Soundtracks

Gangsters
Written by Lynval Golding, Jerry Dammers (as Jeremy Dammers), Neville Staple (as Neville Staples), Terry Hall (as Terence Hall), John Bradbury, Roddy Byers (as Rod Byers) and Horace Panter (as Stephen Panter)
Performed by Citizen King
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.

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!

Details

Official Sites:

Bob Burden Productions (Comic Book) Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mystery Men

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,017,865, 8 August 1999

Gross USA:

$29,762,011

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$33,461,011

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