The setup is pretty simple. Three average guys, who believe they are more than what they are, and attempt to make the most out of what gifts they believe they have had bestowed upon them. The Blue Rajo (Azaria) has the ability to fling certain cutlery (no knives though)! Mr. Furious (Stiller) gets a little mad, but it’s not as bad as he thinks, thus he spews broken and mixed up clichés to compensate. Rounding out the initial trio is The Shoveler (Macy) who has amazing abilities with a shovel, and some very profound outlooks on his life as a superhero. We see their backgrounds, who they are when they aren’t attempting to fight crime, etc. When the real hero of their town, Captain Amazing (Kinnear) is kidnapped, they recruit (a funny scene) some other "crime fighters" and end up with The Spleen (Reubens), with the power of flatulence (funny?..once maybe). The Bowler (Garofalo, and her dead father's skull, creepy, and funny at the same time) and the funniest setup of them all, Invisible Boy, only invisible when noone is looking at him; good setup, predictable resolution, but who cared, I smiled and laughed. The token villain is Casanova Frankenstein (love that name!!) played by Geoffrey Rush doing his best Howard Stern then morphing later into Dieter Sprocket goes disco. This ensemble cast was one of the first things that struck me when I heard about this film. Definitely very high-profile, yet no standout stars, no scene stealers, just a collection of great character actors, gathered together. However, would there be chemistry? Would one outshine the other? I am here to say that the answer is yes and no respectively. Each player knew their part, and each did it effectively. Azaria and Reubens were comic relief. Macy as the straightman; a bland comic delivery that comes across as serious, with that hint of sarcasm. Garofalo and Stiller are the glue that balance together each of those traits, with their acerbic timing, and touch. They complimented each other perfectly. As for the supporting members, Tom Waits, as an eccentric mad scientist (who lives in an abandoned fun house, don’t they all) and Wes Studi, as the predictable mantra quoting mentor of the group, stood out. Rush hams it up quite well, but never scene steals. He is only slightly larger than life, slightly unbelievable, and definitely a comic book villain come to life. I love to see it when characters otherwise known for dramatic seriousness, can relax a bit, and even have a little fun in a role. Just like the rest of the cast here, Rush does that perfectly. I could have, however, done without a few of Reubens flatulence related scenes though. Also the movie’s smug sense of humor fell flat at times. Though it never detracted it was sometimes distracting from the nature and spirit of the film.

I am not really sure what I was expecting out of Mystery Men, the previews ranged from curious, to funny, to downright silly, so the range was wide open. I am happy to say that it was never any sillier than it had to be. The characters had fun, as it appears the actors did, the writing was intelligent, over the top, and trying too hard at times, but never in excess. Most of all, it was something we all related to at some point in our lives. Who amongst us has not wanted to be the center of attention, or the focus of glory, joy or praise? Part of what made this movie good, was that we related to these characters. These are simple people, we are shown that they are far from perfect, not bulletproof, nor impenetrable, and yet, in possession of something that makes them unique from others. Mystery Men focuses on the human side more than I expected, and yet never takes itself seriously. It never pretends to be anything more than a comic book come to life, which is in essence what it is. These are also people who have seen superhero movies, and still cling to those childhood fantasies. Their actions, mocking, imitating, overthinking (early scene at Frankenstein’s mansion) show this human, yet humorous side that exists in all of us.

Mystery Men falls a little bit short when it takes itself a bit too serious, or tries to be a little too clever, or too cute. It is successful however, when it stops trying so hard, and concentrates on not trying to be anything more than a fun-loving, sometimes satirical spoof at society’s take on those who choose to protect and serve us. Very few are safe from the writers sharp witted pen. Those lampooned include the Batman franchise, to the Superfriends cartoons, to Scooby Doo, movies such as The Princess Bride. Even the social positions of the stars themselves (pay attention to Janeane Garofalo’s commentary on Independent filmmakers near the end) are touched on.