Can a Crap Pack of super-zeroes save the world? The Mystery Men arrive.
01/08/1999 . Source: Jessica Martin 
A new film has just been released in the US that aims to do to the image of the superhero genre what Dumb and Dumber did for the intellectually challenged market. Buy Mystery Men in the USA - or Buy Mystery Men in the UK  
It helps that this is an adaptation of Dark Horse's Flaming Carrot comic-book series, which started out as a semi-underground in-joke by writer Bob Burden for fellow comic book fans & creators. Bob Burden? Not his real name, surely. The movie is set in Champion City where three bumbling super heroes are suffering from penis, I mean, power, envy; as the handsome Captain Amazing and his well-oiled media machine keep the population of super criminals in check, leaving our Triynamic Trio in the doldrums - dealing with the cast-off crumbs of crime. Such is their life, as by day, our three heroes toil at their all-too ordinary blue-collar careers. After hours, however, they assume the personas of Mr. Furious, The Blue Raja, and The Shoveler, haunting the night for any excuse to exercise their dubious abilities - even if its just clobbering jay-walkers and tracking down overdue library books. What are their mystic powers, we here you cry? Well, The Raja specialises in stopping villains with forks and spoons, Mr Furious has very poor anger management and social abilities, while The Shoveler wields the meanest digging implement in town. The plot is a simple but elegant affair. Looking for a new victory to drive up his public image ratings even further, the ivy-league Captain Amazing arranges for the devilish but ageing Casanova Frankenstein to be released from the local version of Arkum asylum. Said villain having been incarcerated there since the age of disco. For villain Casanova Frankenstein's character, just imagine John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever getting into a transporter room accident with the Frankenstein monster. Once freed, Frankenstein actually beats Captain Amazing's jock ass and launches a Bond-like plot to obliterate Champion City. Who can save the world? You know who! Ah, but before the Crap Pack can take on Frankenstein and his gang of aging super-cronies, Mr. Furious, The Blue Raja, and The Shoveler must first audition for new members for their League of Losers. Surprisingly, they manage to come up with a roster of superheroes even worse than themselves. These include The Spleen, whose speciality is discharging noxious fumes at will using the mystic power of his rear-end (a power The Nest's editor shares). Invisible Boy, whose years spent being ignored by everyone who meets him have given him the incredible power to turn invisible - but only when no one else is looking. The Bowler, a young woman with a penchant for hurling a deadly bowling ball. And last but not least, The Sphinx, a mysterious mentor figure who dispenses eastern wisdom in the form of trite cliches. Our American correspondent reports that the film is worth seeing, especially if you like a healthy mixture of the pop-coloured Batman/Superman done Airplane-style, served with a large side-dish dollop of toilet humour. If you can't stand any of the above, then to quote South Park's Cartman - your local art house cinema is no-doubt showing a worthy piece featuring some gay cowboys eating porridge. For more details online… http://www.mysterymen.com PC screensaver
http://www.mysterymen.com/screensavers/mminstal.exe Mac screensaver
http://www.mysterymen.com/screensavers/mmsaver1.sit.hqx The cast list includes: Ben Stiller (Something About Mary)
Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black)
Eddie Izzard (The Avengers)
Geoffrey Rush (Shine)
Greg Kinnear (You've Got Mail)
Hank Azaria (Godzilla)
Janeane Garofalo (The Truth About Cats and Dogs)
Lena Olin (Polish Wedding)
Paul Reubens (Who?)
Wes Studi (Last Of The Mohicans)
William Macy (Fargo, Psycho)
Tom Waits (Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Fisher King)
Jennifer Lewis (The Mighty) 
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