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MYSTERY
MEN
review by Joe Mauceri
When Captain Amazing, the superhero of Champion City, begins to lose his corporate sponsorship, he aids in the release of his arch-villain Cassanova Frankenstein. When his plan backfires, it is up to a group of seven second rate heroes to come to the rescue and save the city from the clutches of a maniac. I had the opportunity to read the comics and screenplay for MYSTERY MEN. Many deletions in the story are not nearly as funny as the editions. In the screenplay, The Shoveler's wife and two teenage boys are constantly on his back. It is only his youngest son that offers him any solace. For some reason, the filmmakers felt that making his family black might be funny, and reduce it to a wife, the nag, and a young, supportive, son. That idea might have worked if they took it one step further by making the son another nationality, say Asian. They have also cut some key plot points. It has a direct impact on the continuity and flow of the story. The relationship between Frankenstein and Dr. Leek, his psychiatrist, is gone, plus her key role in creating the instrument of Champion City's destruction. Lena Olin is a talented actress, and a wonderful casting choice to play opposite Geoffrey Rush. It is a shame. They have cut her part drastically. They have whittled the development of the relationship between Mr. Furious and Monica down to a bear minimum. I never felt their connecting, which negatively affects the climax. You can almost sense the filmmakers' thinking behind the cutting. They were probably concerned about pacing and running time. They seem a bit too concerned about the laughs. They allowed the talent freedom to improvise, but forgot the peril and jeopardy. When MYSTERY MEN succeeds it is due to the casting, which is the film's cornerstone. The dynamic seven each bring something fresh, edgy and exciting to their part. Bill Macy gives the Shoveler a Gary Cooper edge, and Ms. Garofalo puts this psychotic spin on the Bowler. Seeing Paul Reubens working to create a unique and zany performance was fun. Ben Stiller is equally charming, but his character, Mr. Furious, is a bit too close to a part he did on the television series "Friends." Tom Waits was an unexpected surprise in the role of Dr. Heller, and Greg Kinnear has the role of a pretentious and smug hero down quite well. Another entertaining component is the wonderful production designs of Kirk M. Petruccelli. It has been a busy year for Kirk, who's recent credits include "Blade" and "The Thirteenth Floor." He gives Champion City this pseudo futuristic Gotham City look, and works in a bit of cheesy 70's pop-culture. I think it is a credit to his craft, that he came up with three distinctive and unique looks for three films. The look gives MYSTERY MEN that "thrill ride" feel. In the end, MYSTERY MEN is a good film that had the potential to be great. The filmmakers are a bit too restrained with the narrative. There are plenty "oohs," but no real thrills or peril. It is your typical summer fanfare. A tad bit more ambitious then "Phantom Menace," but as unmemorable. With talk of a sequel at this early stage, it maybe one of those situations where the sequel transcends the original. OFFICIAL WEB SITE: |
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