The superhero franchise discussion: Mystery Men (1999)

[The Yeti]

Didn't it tank at the boxoffice ?

[FREEFALL]

You know I have a lot of affection for the Tank Girl movie. In the 1990’s there was loads of Superheroes...and we had jack until she came along. I had never heard of her until I saw this film, and now own several graphic novels. But I am not going to start comparing it to the book because that argument is just pointless and James Hewlett himself has said, even though he hates this movie. It did introduce TG to a wilder audience. To turn a comic none had even heard of into a movie is ballsey enough after all.

To be honest there is nothing I hate about this film, from the opening moment intro which is a bloody comic after all. All it asks you, to do is accept the world and to be honest post apolicalpse world, world with no water is not a stretch* But it’s a bloody cartoon film and the people who were acting it in were obviously having fun.

Right lets start with Lori Petty as Rebecca/TG, to be honest I found her voice annoying. But for the role itself, she made it work. She managed to capture TG flippancy and attitude. Which ok was sadly toned downed for the film...in the real world TG wouldn’t give a damn about Sam? But to have her as a surrogate mother type sadly softened her character too much.

Naomi Watts as Jet, I loved her in this. At the time she was still very new to acting and at times I think it showed, especially with her dialogue, but she made it work to capture her vrunability. The scene where she final shot Sgt. Small and looked like Jet from the comics was just awesome. Also the fact she is the sensible saner one of the group which answers the question about how TG has survived so long

The rippers themselves, ok people mention Ice-T, but the real props have to go to Jeff Kober as Booga, even with the entire make up, created by genius Stan Winston. He brought some warmth to the character and you can see why she fell in love with him

Now to Malcolm MacDowell, clearly hamming it up in every scene and doing it with relish. He knew he was in a bad film, but never took it seriously and that’s what made it so brilliant.

So favorite scenes, the moment TG sees the Tank and it’s love at first sight...since she Tank is pretty much it’s own character in the film, the moments it’s pimped out and given a brain, so the speak and the Rippers Dance...just for the sheer WTF moment of it

So for a bad film, just for effort, Cole porter musical number and animated scenes I have to give it at least 7/10
• Though bloody wrong as a meteor which did destroy the water, the water would just go into the atmosphere and rain like hell later on...at least I think, I was crap at science at school!

[Son of Solo]

I've never read Tank Girl and yesterday was the first time I'd ever seen the movie.

I'm still trying to get over it.

[Cicatrixtwigs]

Tank Girl is just one of my favourite films. I was… 10? When this came out so it kind of gives you some idea of how embedded this got in my life. I recorded it off sky movies onto a VHS that got all flakey from rewatches The soundtrack still makes me very happy and has some excellent songs on it. Hmm… I may need to put that in my car…

Anyway, this movie led me to the comics – thinking about it now, I find it a little bizarre that my local library had The Odyssey graphic novel in.

I love Lori Petty in it – lets be honest, it was the 90’s, anything even remotely weird was cartoonish and crazy so I thought she was a great Tank Girl. Better her than Gerri Halliwell or Victoria Beckham anyway (random fact, they met at the audition for Tank Girl. There ya go).

And who doesn’t love MacDowell as a villain? The scene where he stabs a guy with what is essentially a body-water-filter and then takes a refreshing swig… love it.

If you go into it expecting a serious movie, you’ll be totally confused. If you go into it expecting 90’s cartoonish nonsense, you’ll get what you wanted. If you grew up with it? You’ll love it.

[Veela Magnet]

I was always a sucker for Tank Girl -- even looking back at it now it still holds up in a kitsch, scrappy kind of way. I'm always been drawn to that so utterly quintissentially '90s vibe, and it's probably in my holy trinity of '90s guilty pleasures (the other two being Street Fighter and Batman & Robin). I've always been a massive No Doubt fan, and when I first saw it I always thought that they should've just cast Gwen Stefani, as that was clearly the look they were going for :P

[Son of Solo]

Discussion at the moment ...
Mystery Men (1999)
Viewing starts Sunday 3rd June
Discussion ends 17th June
Below are films which we are going to discuss in the upcoming weeks

The Crow: Salvation
Spawn

[FREEFALL]

have a lot of love for MM; it came out at in 1999 and sadly didn’t do well at the box office die to other films coming out at the same time. It’s a brilliant film that sends up the Superhero movies and well the little guys get to save the day. I’m going to highlight my loves


Captain Amazing, Greg Kinnear was brilliant in this movie, the right side of arrogance and charm and his death was so brutally brilliant he deserved it totally. Also love the reference to Lance his real persona and the scene where he reads out the so called message from captain amazing when it was really his shopping list was too funny.
Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush, some eon. He was great in this film, totally hamming it up and enjoying every word of it. The scene where he know full well Amazing only released him, to capture him again. And defeats Amazing was one of the highlights.

The MM themselves, props have to go to William H Macy, he could have acted like he was too good to star in this film, but said every line with perfection. Also and it was mentioned in the commentary, I think this is the first film with an inter-race couple and it is never mentioned as a big deal. Cute moment at the end, where his wife accepts him and calls him “my hero”

Hank Azaria, is also one of the highlights of this film. From his training to his saying “I’m a superhero mother” and in a stealth way using it as his coming out story, the scene during the trials where the two wonder women are fighting in and he just looks bored was the indicator and kudos to his mother for being so accepting.

Ben Stiller was pretty good in this film as Roy, especially when he dropped his bad boy act. Then again, the reward was “Rage really taking over” which was the first time Casanova looked slightly afraid in the entire film.
The thing I like most about this movie, is even though it’s an all star assemble, not once does it feel like the characters are trying to make it their movie. Everyone works really well together and all their stories are referenced and touched upon. .. Janeane Garofalo…who I can’t stand in the real world.

So I could go on all day, but just for the effort, the love and the cast. I’m giving it a 7/10


Sorry forgot Eddie Izzard was in it too…it’s gets an 8/10

[Pie Man 70]

I have a massive soft spot for Mystery Men. Think its often under-rated as both a film and a super-hero film and has a lot of fun with its concept of rubbish amature super heroes who eventually save the day. Also liked Capatin Amazing almost more concerned with Sponsorship and releasing a Villain because his fights have become dull was genius.

I liked the film's visual style as well, even though Champion City has nods to Gotham in Batman and Robin, here it works and definitely gives the city a decent look and feel.

Weaknesses, on occasion it leans too heavily on slapstick and dull toilet humour (The spleen in particular) which falls flat, particularly considering they deliver a good quota of better jokes in the script. Also, as always Eddie Izzard coudl be better used (But not nearly as badly used as he was in The Avengers (not that avengers))

Overall very entertaining and good performances all round. Surprised it's not more highly regarded

[FREEFALL]

bump x

[Son of Solo]

I'd like to revive this thread if anyone is interested. I've been busy over the last few months and it was hard to watch films in the list and then post here.

If anyone has any suggestions to what direction this thread could take as well please do.

Thank you