Kinka Usher's - Mystery Men - starring Ben Stiller

Directed by Kinka Usher
USA 1999

Anyone familiar with the brilliant 'Flaming Carrot' comic books may be aware of 'Mystery Men'. Panned by film critics its celluloid transformation obviously fell upon deaf ears. Don't heed them. They are wrong. Very, very wrong.

We have been telling stories with pictures since the dawn of man and a natural elevation to the fantastical seems only... appropriate. Film is just another graphic extension. Like many 'superhero'-based creations 'Mystery Men' goes to extreme lengths to parody the very genre it evolves from. This process, kind of, breaks down the third wall acceptable to many who refuse to suspend their disbelief. The concept behind superhero-dom can have multi-dimensions - persuaded as realistic (Spiderman, X-Men, Unbreakable) or mocking lampoon (The Incredibles), for those growing up with this form of fantasy element it became an eventual springboard to heavier literature - and, like much of our youth, it is rare if it entirely leaves us when we mature.

In Kinka Usher's 'Mystery Men' we are introduced to some of the lesser know brand of caped crusader - in this universe we have Captain Amazing (Greg Kinear), Ben Stiller as Mr. Furious (who's power, it seems is to just get really, really mad) - the wonderfully deadpan William H. Macy as the oddly armored 'Shoveler' - Hank Azaria plays the silverware-tossing 'Blue Raja' - the always hilariously cold Janeane Garofalo, existing on the legacy of her character's father (NOTE: who has the same first name - Carmine - as her real father!), is 'The Bowler' - Paul Reubens, with a sort of surprise comeback, is 'The Spleen'. Plus the only-when-nobody's-looking 'Invisible Boy', there philosophical leader 'Sphinx', dastardly villains like The Disco Boys or Geoffrey Rush as Casanova Frankenstein - it all seems perfectly complete. Don't you agree?

I'll admit that my first viewing the creative depth behind 'Mystery Men' alluded me. Only when I decided to give it a second spin did it render stomach-grabbing guffaws - or maybe my expectations weren't as exceptionally high. I kept trying to isolate why it was so darn amusing - was it the quintessential everyman Ben Stiller?, stone-faced William Macy?, the script?, the plot? - I couldn't be 100% sure. Regardless, it worked... like a charm... on me. I'll add the caveat that this is definitely not for everyone - the humor can be a bit ribald at times. But I wouldn't readily dismiss it simply because journalists like Roger Ebert gave it 2/4 - remember he also gave The Cell 4/4. I'm afraid the excessive negativism squashed any hopes of a sequel - which is very disappointing indeed. If you'd like some depth - how about Casanova Frankenstein's castle? - right our of Antonioni Gaudi's playbook. When you are in the mood - 'Mystery Men' can definitely hit the spot - not like a choice sirloin, but more like a diner's blue-plate special... yeah, that's it. out of

Gary W. Tooze

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Theatrical Release: July 22nd, 1999

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DVD Review: Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	2:01:20
Video	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.58 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Studios Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.78i:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by: director Kinka Usher • Spotlight on Location • Deleted Scenes • Origin of the original Mystery Men comic book characters • Universal Soundtrack Presentation & Music Highlights & Universal Showcase • DVD-ROM Features DVD Release Date: January 11th, 2000 Keep Case inside cardboard slipcase Chapters: 18

Comments:

The first noted detail of the image is that it is exceptionally dark, but I always prefer this as far more natural look than contrast boosted transfers. This is obviously how the film looked theatrically and it definitely suits the style of the detailed art production. Colors are intentionally on the dull side but sharpness is there and overall the quality is very consistent.

The supplements are very good - the director commentary shares many production details and some frank anecdotes. There is a 'Spotlight on Location' featurette and about 7 minutes of deleted scenes.

Overall this is a well above-average DVD at a good price. The film is very addictive and charming in its own juvenile way. Although it won't make our Essentials DVDs listing - we still recommend it for some great fun.

Gary W. Tooze

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