They’re not your classic heroes. They’re the other guys. The hippest cast in history has united for this hilarious and thoroughly original misadventure! When Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear), Champion City’s legendary superhero, falls into the hands of the evil madman Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) and his disco-dancing henchmen, there’s suddenly a chance for the Mystery Men to show what they can do. They’re a ragtag team of superhero wannabes featuring: Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), whose power comes from his boundless rage; The Shoveler (William H. Macy), a father who shovels “better than anyone”; The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria), a fork-flinging mama’s boy; The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo), who fights crime with the help of her father’s skull; The Spleen (Paul Reubens), whose power is pure flatulence; Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell), who’s only invisible when no one’s watching; and The Sphinx (Wes Studi), a cliché-spewing philosopher. They become the funniest team of villain-vanquishers ever assembled in this wild and witty superhero spoof!

For thoughts on Mystery Men, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/F23oOqWKYDM?t=834]

Video Quality

Mystery Men debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a gorgeous 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer derived from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. This release does come with a Blu-Ray disc which is derived from the same 4K master, but I neither own nor have seen any previous version of the film which makes direct comparisons limited to what is in this package. Judging from a brief overview of the new Blu-Ray, it is easy to see that there are some strong improvements with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Even if you are not 4K capable, it might be worth getting this release just for the remastered Blu-Ray which is really great.

With the 4K UHD release, the transfer brings this film to life like never before with practically nothing in the way of softness or fluctuation outside of a handful of special effects shots. This release retains the lovely natural film grain of the source while always resolving naturally free of clumping and swarming. With this new transfer, you are exposed to so much texture and detail which brings out new facets of the feature. Skin tones are natural, and the clarity of the transfer gives you an impressive amount of facial detail. Dolby Vision provides very natural, vibrant colors in the costumes, the production design and the lighting choices. Black levels are deep and allow the image to show off a vast amount of depth and detail in the numerous shadowy environments. White levels are brighter with greater stability while avoiding instances of blooming. The precise display of contrast and overall clarity is never an issue, especially as you explore this rich world. Kino Classics has really done some great work here.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio lossless track that brings this world to life famously. There are some factions who typically implore labels to provide a new Dolby Atmos surround track in addition to the original audio, but this track is quite effective as is while maintaining its artistic integrity. Dialogue comes through perfectly clear and works well with competing elements. The track balances the many layers of sound so nothing turns into a sonic mess. The surround channels are surprisingly active as they deliver some texture to the world with discrete nuances to make each environment stand out. Directionality of the sound is carefully considered throughout with no errant placement. The low end digs deep when necessary for some dynamic texture. The score and soundtrack aid the unique tone which radiates out with flawless fidelity. This audio presentation is a delightful experience for fans. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Kinka Usher deliver a decent archival commentary track in which he recalls various aspects of the production including the development of different scenes, the shooting locations, the scenes that were cut from the film, the improvised lines from the ensemble, the visual aesthetic of the film, the casting and collaborative process, anecdotes from the set and much more. Some of the insights are a bit obvious, but there is some good stuff in here.

We’re The Other Guys – The Making Of Mystery Men: A great 24-minute interview with Director Kinka Usher in which he discusses the origins of this project, how he landed the directing gig, finding his ensemble, how each person was convinced to come on board, his inspiration for the film, obstacles he faced and more.

I’m A Superhero, Mother – The Costumes Of Mystery Men: A 12-minute interview with Costume Designer Marilyn Vance in which she discusses the development of the look for each character, the large budget she had to work with, matching costumes to the personality of the characters, what each costumes says about the character and more.

Inside Champion City – The Effects Of Mystery Men: A nearly ten-minute interview with Visual Effects Supervisor Todd Tucker in which he discusses the movie landscape of the time, the characters that he helped enhance, the legacy of the film and more.

Disco Is Life – The Score(s) Of Mystery Men: A nine-minute interview with Film Music Historian Daniel Schweiger in which he discusses the unique pedigree of the film composers, the sound design of the film, the atypical tone of the score and more.

Spotlight On Location – The Original Making Of Mystery Men: An 18-minute vintage piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the background of the film, the camaraderie on set, the training that went into the stunt work, the costume design and much more.

Deleted Scenes: A 20-minute selection of unused footage is provided here including an alternate introduction to the Sphinx, more personal moments with Shoveler and Blue Rajah, and more.

Trailers: There is a two-and-a-half minute trailer provided for Mystery Men. There are also trailers provided for Tropic Thunder, Hudson Hawk and Half Baked.

Final Thoughts

Mystery Men was a bit ahead of its time, and it feels like a film that would be much more widely accepted these days. While there are some core issues that keep this one from being an all-time classic, there are enough steady laughs to label this one an under-the-radar gem. The chemistry between the performers is very natural with nary a weak link in the ensemble. The dynamic between heroes and villains could be driven home a bit more effectively, and the pacing is one of the more obvious downfalls of the experience, but overall this proves to be a lot of fun. Kino Classics has given this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade with a praise-worthy A/V presentation and some great legacy special features. If you want a clever superhero satire that is a bit rough around the edges, this one is worth a look. Recommended

Mystery Men is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.