Super Hero Spoof Delivers The Goods

by Jason R. Hewlett

Super heroes are a cultural phenomenon. They've been around, in one form or another since people have been telling stories. A larger than life hero dressed in some wild costume battling the forces of evil. This description could fit any character from Batman to King Arthur if you think about it.

Super Heroes have been popping up on the big screen in droves since "Batman" went big a decade ago and the results have been less than spectacular. The genre has slipped into a form of self-parpdy that hit new heights with the dreadful "Batman and Robin". However, few films have been made that actually do a decent job of intentionally poking fun at the genre. Actually the best super hero spoof was the T.V. cartoon "The Tick" which aired a few years ago. Otherwise nothing special.

However, that changed this past weekend with the release of "Mystery Men." The film is actually an adaptation of the Dark Horse comic book of the same name and details the exploits of a band of ragtag hero wannabees who are called into action to save Champion City (a sort of Gotham City clone) from the clutches of the evil Casanova Frankenstein after he kidnaps the only "one-true hero, " the egocentric Captain Amazing.

All of these wacky characters are brought to life by an excellent cast and crew including Hank Azaria as Blue Raja, Ben Stiller as Mr. Furious, William H. Macy as The Shoveller, and Janaene Garofalo as The Bowler. Everyone shines and brings depth to their parts but Claire Forlani suffers a bit in a role that's strictly girlfriend/hostage material. Director Kinka Usher has a wild visual style well suited to the source material and heightens the comedy elements considerably.

The plot is pure comic book turned on its' butt by screenwriters Bob Burden, Neil Cuthbert, and Brent Forrester. Captain Amazing is more concerned with his image and corporate sponsors than fighting crime. In fact, no one can seem to get it through their heads that Amazing and his alter ego Lance are one in the same because Amazing doesn't wear glasses while Lance does (sound familiar?). There's even a priceless recruiting segment where our heroes try to get help and bring in an odd collection a other wannabees like The Waffler and P.M.S. Avenger. All the characters where gaudy costumes and sport silly powers and catch phrases that are simply hilarious...unless you don't know anything about comic books or super heroes.

I guess that's the films only big drawback. It's closed itself off to a genre that isn't as popular as it was a few years ago. This could hurt its' box office considerably and the film is filled with $60 million in effects and cool pyrotechnics. It's a risky venture for Universal.

Still, I enjoyed it and found lots to laugh at so I gave it a passing grade. It's much more fun than a dozen "Austin Powers" films.

7 out of 10!