Mystery Men

Directed by Kinka Usher

1999 • PG-13 • English • 121 min.

The late 1990s saw the foundation being built for the modern superhero movie boon with the releases of Blade and X-Men. The late 90s also saw this deconstructionist take on superhero movies, featuring a cast of cool 90s actors (including Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo). It tanked at the box office — maybe it was ahead of its time. Would it have been more popular if it was released in a post-Avengers world where audiences are more in tune with the superhero tropes that Mystery Men pokes fun at?

Cast: Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy