Mystery Men

Mystery Men has a lot going for it. It has a wonderfully hip cast, including Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, and even Tom Waits in a minor role. It has some great comic book concepts, like a team of inept superhero wannabes, a scene of tryouts for new recruits to their team, and the golden boy whose hero outfit is studded with major product logos. With all these great ideas going for it, you’d think the movie would be a winner. But the movie is so slow and so obsessed with its own jokes that it is ultimately disappointing. I tried to like it, I wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t.