There's trouble in Champion City. Maniacal Super Villain Casanova Frankenstein has returned after years in an insane asylum and is ready to wreak havoc. To make matter's worse, the city's reliable Defender of Justice, Captain Amazing, has been kidnapped. So, it's up to some lesser-known super heroes to save the day. It's up to the other guys, it's up to... the Mystery Men.

There's Blue Baja, Master of Cutlery. The Shoveler -- a guy who shovels really well. And there's Mr. Furious. Like the Incredible Hulk, Mr. Furious warns people not make him angry. But when they do make him furious, nothing happens, he just gets furious. No wonder, this trio has trouble getting any publicity. But when Amazing goes AWOL, they see an opportunity to steal the limelight by defeating a powerful foe.

For help, they begin to recruit other second-rate super heroes. Joining the team are The Invisible Boy (he can only become invisible when no one is looking at him), The Spleen (flatulence is his weapon), and The Bowler (she throws around a bowling ball with her father's skull inside). Together, they team-up to take on Frankenstein. It all makes for a scenario that comedy fans and comic book geeks should love.

With the last three Batman films turning out to be total stinkers, overwhelmed by their own cynicism, irony and lacking any fun at all -- the super hero genre is ripe for parody. Director Kinka Usher, whose best-known previous work was the Taco Bell Dog TV commercials, delivers this send-up with just the right tone. Mystery Men mocks comic book conventions, but still allows you to root for the film's less than stellar heroes.

The assembled cast is first-rate. Ben Stiller leads the ensemble as Mr. Furious. William H. Macy, who can do anything, is deadpan perfect as The Shoveler. Janeane Garofalo brings her usual heavy sarcasm to The Bowler. And it's nice to see Paul Reubens out of hibernation as The Spleen; though his character may remind some of Howard Stern's Fartman, Reuben's take on the concept is funnier. Geoffrey Rush makes a suitably evil Frankenstein. And Greg Kinnear is well cast the vane, conceited Captain Amazing, whose costume is covered with more corporate logos than a race car driver. Tom Waits, Wes Studi and Eddie Izzard also get big laughs in smaller roles.

Usher has a good eye for what looks funny. The mere sight of the Mystery Men, in their pathetic costumes, heading out to fight evil, should have you busting a gut. The director also gets a lot of mileage out of close-up wide angle lenses to give everything a goofy, distorted feel. The standard Blade Runner-style production design looks great as well and the special effects are surprisingly good. Though the film starts to lose momentum as it heads toward its finale, it's a flaw that's easily forgiven. The biggest irony of Mystery Men may be that it has a more coherent plot, better heroes, better villains, better action and better sets than the last three Batmans combined. And all the laughs are intentional.

(c) Copyright 1999