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movie review - Mystery Men

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 1999.08.22

Silly but amusing, this is a sometimes awkward flick that dives into the world of comic book heroes without shame. It's hit-and-miss throughout, with some dreadfully dull scenes, but I liked it well enough. The reaction of the gang I saw it with was quite varied, ranging from those who hated it (people with childhoods never be-smudged by comic books, eg. the English contingent) to the rest of us, who enjoyed this tale of less than 'super' heroes.

Mystery Men is about a trio of small-time Superheroes in a massive, alternate reality city, where all of the signs are in English, Russian, and some Asian languages. Mostly set at night, it's a Blade Runnery, wet, dark, grungy world, with conflicted city officials (two of whom confusingly where Soviet insignia in one scene) and heroes (with Pepsi logos and a PR agent), creepy retro bad guys, and a blasted landscape.

Garofalo is especially good as always, and the same goes for Macy. Stiller is getting a little boring in his constantly recast Flirting With Disaster role, but Azaria adds much-needed humour as the Blue Rajah to a movie that repeatedly slides into dull, puerile drudgery.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

When the world is in accord with the Dao, fast horses are left to fertilize fields. When the world is not in accord with the Dao, war horses are bred in the countryside.

— Lao Tsu