Mystery Men is admirable for its effort but falls short of the standards that we've come to expect in the spoof genre.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 20, 2023

A colorful but flavorless dud.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 25, 2022

A story that sparkles with emotional warmth, strong jokes and great performances from Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, Lena Olin, Eddie Izzard, Greg Kinnear, William Macy, Geoffrey Rush and Ben Stiller.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 2, 2020

Even with its super cast, the slow-moving 'Mystery Men' falters in its attempt to spoof comic book heroes.

| Sep 29, 2012

It is good that the film has charm, for after a certain point it doesn't necessarily have anything else.

| Original Score: 6/10 | May 7, 2012

Witty comic-book story is edgy, with lots of potty humor.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 26, 2010

Hugely entertaining -- especially for those with a thing for superheroes.

| Jul 15, 2010

The characters have been designed to make fun of themselves, disguising the craft of writer Neil Cuthbert and director Kinka Usher in getting us to laugh at them.

| Jul 15, 2010

Fails to come up with worthy gags and one-liners for the able cast.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 16, 2009

An instant cult comedy that doesn't walk or talk like anything else out there.

| Original Score: B+ | Aug 25, 2008

How many laughs can you get out of a handful of one-joke characters? Well, if your ensemble contains the talents of Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria and Ben Stiller, the answer is: a lot.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 14, 2007

The Just-Us League of America

Full Review | Jul 6, 2006

Usher's amiable spoof of superhero movies takes a brave stab at rewriting the mythology from the inside out, with lots of witty, mildly subversive stuff.

| Jun 24, 2006

So much time is spent in getting to know everyone, the jokes are few and far between when they should be fast and furious.

| Original Score: C+ | Apr 9, 2005

If as a kid you ever put on a costume and imagined you were a superhero, you should have a perfectly good time with this movie.

| Original Score: B- | Jan 15, 2005

Mystery Men is like its hapless heroes. It's a wannabe that has the best intentions -- including a pronounced anti-gun stance -- but none of the knack it takes to save the day, or itself.

Full Review | Feb 21, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 20, 2003

Director Usher should have spent a little more time in the editing room.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 4, 2003

What disappoints me most is that with all the money they spent to make this film, they couldn’t hire a better director who could have used Stiller and the others in a better way.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 29, 2003

...better than sitting at home on a hot summer night watching the sitcoms. Or maybe it's exactly like sitting at home on a hot summer night watching the sitcoms

Full Review | Original Score: C | Dec 8, 2002