warn represent may contain spoilersso who be these mystery men . simply put and the mystery men be a group of sub hero desperately try to live out their adolescent fantasy life while botch both their real identity and their super identity . the shoveller ( bill macy ) work construction during the day and and at night and leave his wife and kid at home while he cruise the street look for crime to tackle with his extraordinary and unique shovel fight style . the blue raja ( hank azaria ) sell silverware to newlywed by day and fling tableware at crackpot villians by night and if his mom isn not keep him busy with the late snooping . mr. furious work in a junk yard to earn his pay and then take out his frustration on his friend at night and tossing ill conceive one liner at friend and foe alike and threaten to get really angry ( leave everyone to wonder and so what . ) . ben still breathes such life into this character and you can not help but love him . these three spend their night try to capture that amoment of glory they have dream about . become real super hero . obviously and it could happen . champion city have captain amazing and after all . a fly and fight super cop with enough corporate logo on his costume to stop an extra bullet or two . greg kinnear turn in a stellar performance a a middle age sellout try to recapture his fan attention in the twilight of his career . to bring back that extra magic that might win the endorsement again and c. a. free casanova frankenstein and a waaaaay over the top menace play to chill perfection by goeffrey rush . this lunatic genius have create a psychofrakulator to warp champion city into a reflection of his own insanity . and end up capture c. a. within hour of his release from prison . this leave only the mystery men to stop frankenstein evil plan and but with such henchman a the disco boys protect frankenstein and the trio be go to need a little help . recruiting commences and and after a painful recruitment party and the team settle in with the bowler ( janeane garofolo ) and who initially have the only real talent in the team and with her mystic bowling ball seemingly animate by the vengeful spirit of her dead father while the invisible boy ( kel mitchell ) and who claim to turn invisible when absolutely no one be look at him while the spleen ( paul reuben ) and grant mystically powerful flatulence by an angry gypsy while and the much underused sphinx ( wes studi ) and who be show to be able to cut gun in half with his mind and then spend much of the rest of the movie spout inane riddle and act over wise . this film really be a cross genre romp . anyone want to pigeon hole film into neat little category be fight a losing battle . this be a spoof or parody of the superhero genre from the pseudo burton set recycle endlessly ( and occasionally decorate with more spoof material ) to the ridiculous costume and the comic book genre get a pretty good send up . but at the same time and it be a serious superhero flick and as well . both at once . while not a necessarily unique idea in itself ( for example and this movie be in some way reflective of d. c. comic short live inferior five work ) and it be fairly innovative for the big screen . it offer the comic book world that require a suspension of disbelief to accept anyway and then throw in the inevitable wan na be and we all know and if superheroes be real and so would these guy be real . if the big guy with the s be fly around new york city and you would see a half dozen news report about idiot in underwear get their butt kick on a regular basis . sure and the shoveller fight pretty well and and the blue raja hurl fork with great accuracy all part of the super hero world . but do that make them genuine super hero . only in their mind . this movie be also a comedy and albeit a dark one . inevitable and when try to point out the patent ridiculous nature of super heroic . one liners fly a the comic genius on stage throw out numerous bit to play off of . particularly marvelous be the dialogue by janeane garofalo with her bowl ball or father . yet and it isn not a comedy in the sense of side split laughter or eternally memorable joke . it mix in a dose of drama and of discovery and of romance and but never really venture fully into any of it . what really make mystery men a good film and in the end and be that it be very engaging . the weak or lame good guy be eventually justified and and for one shin moment and really become super hero while justice be serve while and the movie end with a scene that reek of realism ( a much realism a be possible in a world where bowling ball fly and glass make the perfect disguise ) . if the viewer stop try to label the film and then the film can be a great romp . of course and no movie be perfect . claire forlani come off a bored and directionless a mr. furious love interest and in spite of have a pivotal role a his conscience . tom wait seem somehow confuse by his own line a the mad inventor dr. heller and although his open scene pick up retired lady in the nursing home be worth watch alone . and the villians be never more than gun tot lackey ( a point of which be make in the film ) . the cinematography be choppy and disjoint ( such a happens in the average comic book and so it be excusable ) and the music sometimes overpower the scenery and and the special effect be never quite integrate into the rest very well . yet and overall and this film be incredible . you probably have to be a fan of comic and the superhero genre to really appreciate this movie and but it a fun romp and a good way to kill a couple of hour and let your brain rest . positive in my opinion .