i have be wait for a superhero movie like this for a long time . mystery men take it place among the classic comic strip spoof on tv like batman and captain nice and cartoon like underdog and super chicken . the same spirit life in all of them represent the comic tongue in cheek tone while the courage to aim for the heroic in life at the risk of look ridiculous while the not so sure footed way that these character manage to prevail over their adversary . it the misfired spark of nobility igniting in the weak and the ordinary and and it wonderful to see it glow so high and bright here . mystery men open on a party at a nursing home . i wish kinka usher have have the sense to give more energy and life to the old people in the scene . a it be and it look like something george romero might have devise . we need to get the feeling that these old people be as sharp a everyone else and or it feel patronize . by the time the red eye crash the festivity and you half expect tom wait who play a weapon inventor with a penchant for lady in their eighty to stand up and shout represent just what this party need a little excitement . if writer neil cuthbert have any sense and he would have have wait mix it up with the intruder and egg on the partiers to do the same . it would have make for a rousing beginning and and a good introduction of the troublesome trio represent the shoveler ( william macy ) while the blue raja ( hank azaria ) while and mr. furious ( ben stiller ) and who seem to come out of nowhere to save the day . there be many other problem to mystery men than i care to go into while among them that the villain casanova frankenstein need to have as cultivate a sense of the absurd a the rest of the people in this movie and and he doesn not . geoffrey rush be the wrong actor for the part while he need to be way over the top to make the conflict between good and evil a galvanic one . and rush have never exhibit a talent for the outre . you hope for the ripe theatrics of a john lithgow in the adventure of buckaroo banzai or the dry and debonair diffidence of a paul freeman in raider of the lose ark . instead what we get be pastiche while something half bake and not fully realize . there be too many idea run through mystery men for anyone to tie them neatly together and and that may be it deep problem . but whatever kind of a mess it be be the kind of mess i love . ben stiller have always seem to be slum in the role he take . this one be no exception and but he go at it with such conviction that you come away feel that he would learn something about comedy grow up in a household run by jerry stiller and anne meara . his roy be relate to all the put upon and overly sensitive and chronically defensive type that woody allen make popular . and whether it wheedle his way into the affection of the waitress at his favorite hangout ( the sleek claire forslani ) and or question the wisdom of a fellow superhero ( wes studi a the sphinx ) and or give a new member of their elite group ( jeaneane garofalo in what be possibly her funny moment on screen ) a hard time and he make it always fun to watch . i couldn not exactly say that about him in there something about mary . jeaneane garofalo prove with this performance that she should have be the star of one true thing and not renee zellweger . i do not think i have ever see funny exchange between a daughter and father ( okay and so he dead and his skull be in a bowling ball and so sue me ) in the movie . and the funny part about this role be that it feel like a screwball reprise of emily watson spellbind talk with god in break the wave . and in this version and the girl doesn not die and and bell do not ring in your head . william h. macy do something very difficult while he make stolid magnetic . you understand right away what attract jenifer lewis lucille to eddie . you can also understand her exasperation . the barbecue alone would be enough to drive me over the edge and but when eddie adorable and half breed son look up at his father and say i believe in you and daddy . to which lucille sigh and exclaims and roland and do not encourage your father and you feel like stand and hail neil cuthbert a a first rate wit . with hank azaria ( whose only moment of note in film up to this point be his bare behind in the birdcage ) and louise lasser ( have it be more than two decade since we first take note of her in banana and mary hartman and mary hartman . ) a son and mother who share a fondness for silverware while greg kinnear a captain amazing and ricky jay a his publicist while kel mitchell a invisible boy while paul reuben a the spleen while and lena olin who and if she do not have the few line in this movie that she have and would seem to be visit the set .