Mystery Men MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -1 1/2

Champion City is filled with hero wannabes, but the real hero is Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear). Having cleaned up crime, he worries about future challenges to keep up his image. So Amazing secretly arranges to have his arch-enemy, Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffry Rush), released from prison to renew their rivalry again. But when Amazing disappears, it's up to a team of wannabes to find him and save the city. Led by The Shoveler (William H. Macy), the mystery men include The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria), Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), The Spleen (Paul Reubens), and the Bowler (Janeane Garafolo). But their confidence and teamwork leave a little to be desired. Occassionally humorous dialogue and off-the-wall characters, joined by a soundtrack of popular hits, make MYSTERY MEN a fun movie. Based on the Dark Horse comics magazine, this spoof of classic super heroes is sure to be a hit with the Gen-X crowd.

The super wannabes are a motley crew with questionable powers. Blue Raja throws forks and spoons with questionable accuracy. Mr. Furious tries to use the power of rage but just can't get mad enough. The Spleen's power takes flatulence jokes to a new level. In one tasteless scene, a skunk tries to mate with the Spleen's leg. And he claim's his power is the result of a gypsy curse. The Bowler's ball contains a skull she claims is her father. She talks to it and apparently hears it talk back. In one scene, the ball acts under it's own power. The Shoveler must deal with a family that is less than supportive. Amazing, despite his wholesome image, pushes a wheelchaired lady out of his way and refuses a little boy's autograph request. The heroes are to be applauded for their stance on non-lethal weaponry, but moderate violence still seems excessive. A few scenes show grotesquely distorted heads and charred corpses. Although the language is fairly clean for recent films, two obscenities are slipped in, along with several moderate crudities. The bathroom humor combined with occultic references and powers, added with some objectionable language, make MYSTERY MEN considerably less than super.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Universal Pictures, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, (818) 777-1000