Line #28 YMMV/MysteryMen


1	!! Film
2	* AdaptationDisplacement: The movie really has nothing to do with the great ''Flaming Carrot'' comics it takes its name from, but it's easily good enough on its own. Even WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic, who read the comic, had no idea the film was based on it due [[InNameOnly to having so little in common with the source material]].
3	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
4	** Is the spirit of the Bowler's father really in the bowling ball, or does the Bowler have some form of telekinesis (inherited from her father) and an ImaginaryFriend and/or schizophrenia?
5	** Is the Sphinx a genuine EccentricMentor or a posturing phony (albeit a well-meaning one) whose proverbs [[IceCreamKoan sound profound]]? Or a bit of both?
6	** The Sphinx is implied to be from Mexico. Perhaps his bizarre proverbs make more sense in Spanish?
7	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: While it wasn't until ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' that the song truly became the cultural touchstone that it still remains today, "All Star" by Music/SmashMouth still getting its start here is something not forgotten by many and still appreciated in spite of this movie not garnering the same success at the time itself.
8	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The entire skunk-humping-the-Spleen's-leg scene.
9	* CatharsisFactor:
10	** As terrifying as his death is, [[spoiler: [[ItsAllAboutMe Captain Amazing]] death via psycho-fraculation is as [[AssholeVictim well]] [[KarmicDeath deserved]] as it is [[HoistByHisOwnPetard self]] [[PoorCommunicationKills inflicted]]]]. You might even cheer for it given how he spends his last few moments insulting the Mystery Men.
11	** [[spoiler: Mr. Furious throwing Casanova into his own death ray where's basically destroyed the same way Amazing was—and all of Champion City almost was—is also an appropriately and appreciated karmic demise as well.]]
12	* CompleteMonster: In this otherwise-comedic film, the vicious [[BigBad Casanova Frankenstein]] is released from the asylum he's been in for twenty years. Showing he hasn't changed in the slightest, Casanova promptly blows the Asylum up and abducts his old nemesis Captain Amazing, who had him released in the first place out of boredom. Planning to create the greatest act of evil Champion City has ever seen, Casanova unveils the Psycho-Frakulator that will [[CruelAndUnusualDeath painfully warp reality and kill]] every citizen in the city. [[CardCarryingVillain Delighted by his own evil]], Casanova even [[BadBoss kills his own henchmen]] just to prove a point to the heroes when they try to stop him and abducts hero Mr. Furious's girlfriend with [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil obvious lewd intentions]] before attempting to annihilate the city with them.
13	* CultClassic: The film came out back when Superhero movies were still kind of a niche genre and the ''Film/BatmanFilmSeries'' had gone through its [[Film/BatmanAndRobin late-Schumacher]] phase, so an action-comedy movie based around the idea wasn't going to be winning any Oscars. It has since developed a fanbase who love it as a hidden gem of the late 90's, mocking a lot of Superhero cliches back when it was fresh and new while still telling an uplifting "zero to hero" tale. Today, Alamo Drafthouse does annual screenings of it.
14	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
15	** Among the team members, The Shoveler and the Sphinx are both strong contenders for the title of the films best character.
16	** TechnicalPacifist Dr. Heller.
17	** Of the rejected tryouts for the the team, Waffler and Ballerina-man are pretty well remembered.
18	* HilariousInHindsight:
19	** [[Creator/GeoffreyRush Casanova Frankenstein]] relishes a hammy moment where he [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl eats an apple.]]
20	** Lance Hunt pretends to be Captain Amazing's sponsor as cover. Currently, Franchise/{{Batman}}'s doing the exact same thing.
21	** Captain Amazing sporting a superhero costume plastered in corporate logos becomes sort of a precursor to the ProductPlacement costumes of ''Anime/TigerAndBunny''.
22	** During the music video for Music/SmashMouth's "All Star", the Mystery Men assault the band's limo after Steve cuts in on their hero work. With the song's ''enormous'' popularity in the late [[TheNewTens New 10's]] and this film's continued obscurity, it now looks like the heroes are mad at being overshadowed by ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1''.
23	** Tony P., leader of the Disco Boys, bears a [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mysterymen/images/3/3d/Tony_Pompadour-1-.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130720024001 strong resemblance]] to [[https://s3.amazonaws.com/app.growtix.com/media/big/20/38/64/5fbf57b3-4398-4982-bef2-c9ea15cc83bd.png Ricky]] from ''Series/TrailerParkBoys'' with his blond pompadour and moustache/half-goatee facial hair. They both even have outdated lifestyles.
24	* MoralEventHorizon:
25	** [[BigBad Casanova Frankenstein]] blows up the insane asylum he'd been locked up in for twenty years, killing a lot of people in the process--not because he hated the place, but simply because he wanted to speak to Captain Amazing. Later, he [[BadBoss sadistically kills several of his henchmen]] just to prove a point.
26	** [[CorporateSponsoredSuperhero Captain Amazing]] arranges Casanova Frankenstein's release from the insane asylum, knowing damn well that the villain hasn't changed a bit and will launch an attack on the city as soon as he gets an opportunity. His motive? [[OnlyInItFortheMoney To keep his corporate sponsors]] and [[ItsAllAboutMe to satisfy his massive ego]].
27	** [[TheDragon Tony P]] shot Carmine the Bowler and dropped him down an elevator shaft before the events of the film. [[KickTheDog He even mocks Carmine's daughter about it.]]
28	* NightmareRetardant: The SeinfeldianConversation before, during, and after [[spoiler: Captain Amazing's death]] is either MoodWhiplash or makes said event impossible to take seriously.
29	* RetroactiveRecognition:
30	** Creator/DaneCook appears as the Waffle Man aka The Waffler during the superhero try-outs.
31	** Also Creator/DougJones is Pencil Head in the aforementioned auditions.
32	** Music/CeeLoGreen to those who have known him post-"Crazy" as a member of the Not So Goodie Mob.
33	** Creator/SungKang appears as a henchman during the big villain gang get-together; it was his first film credit.
34	* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Aside from some time period specific jokes and references, as well as its overall aesthetic, [[https://www.avclub.com/mystery-men-clumsily-spoofed-superhero-movies-before-th-1827101621 this retrospective piece on the movie]] points out that the film came out at a time when superhero movies were still generally considered campy and something only for the fanboys and the genre was still shakily trying to figure itself out, with more missteps than actual hits, a ''very'' far cry from how superhero movies would become massive pop culture juggernauts a decade later by striking the right balance between fun and serious.
35	-->''If Mystery Men has value today, it’s as a time capsule, for a period when expensive movies had no idea what to do with funny people and when satirical superhero movies didn’t really have much to satirize''.
36	----
37	!!Comic:
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Context YMMV / MysteryMen