Greetings and salutations, nostalgia addicts; it’s time for another Forgotten Favorite.
This week I have decided to dust off one of the greatest superhero films of all time. Of course I’m talking about Mystery Men.
Mystery Men, directed by Kinka Usher, and written by Neil Cuthbert and Bob Burden, is loosely based on Burden’s Flaming Carrot Comics published by Dark Horse Comics. This 1999 comedy stars big hitters, such as Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Tom Waits, Kel Mitchell and Janeane Garofalo. I could continue, but I’d be listing the entire cast, as this film is full of very familiar faces.
When Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear), Champion City’s greatest hero, is kidnapped by Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), a criminal mastermind that has been locked up for years and released just to give Captain Amazing something to do, a group of superheroes come together to devise a plan. But these aren’t normal superheroes; they are individuals who are not good enough to be real superheroes. Now the group, including such heroes as Mr. Furious (Stiller), The Shoveller (Macy) and The Blue Raja (Azaria) must put their powers together and assemble a team to rescue Captain Amazing and save the city they love so much from being destroyed.
This film is one of my favorites of all time. It’s simple, hilarious and actually has a good message: stay true to yourself and don’t try to be someone you’re not. Also, you can find friends where you least expect it. Mystery Men shows us that there is a superhero inside of everyone; all we have to do is find it.
I find myself laughing out loud constantly when I watch this film and I continue to quote it for days after. If you haven’t seen it or have forgotten about it, you need to look into finding it; you won’t be disappointed.
Well there you have it: another Forgotten Favorite in the bag. Keep an eye out for more to come.
