Mystery Men (1999)

 

Synopsis: Not-so-super vigilantes match wits with insane villain who wants to bring back disco…or something equally sinister. 

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “The hippest cast in history has united to become the funniest superhero team ever.” 

What Did I Learn?: 1) He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions. 2) When you care what is outside, what is inside cares for you. 3) Disco is NOT dead. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You're a sucker for super heroes. 

Really?: Mystery Men is a light-hearted comedy about strange people with strange super-powers, so I’m going to give it a lot of leeway in this category. Still, 1) I found it a bit strange that Captain Amazing could somehow defeat so many super-villains when it’s obvious that he’s not very bright; and 2) I’m not entirely sure why Dr. Leek (Lena Olin) was added to this movie, considering it’s Captain Amazing who convinces the asylum’s leadership to release Casanova, and her character is never developed after she speaks a grand total of two lines of dialogue. 

Rating: Despite a confused script and a very uneven comedic tone, it’s difficult to dislike Mystery Men, considering it features a great cast, several genuinely funny lines (I’m still chuckling over “it looks like we’ve got a date with destiny, and it looks like she’s ordered the lobster”), and a feel-good message about believing in yourself and never giving up. It’s worth checking out at least once. 7/10 stars. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132347/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1