100. Mystery Men

Before superhero movies enjoyed a newfound credibility with the critical and financial success of X-Men and Spider-Man, 1999's Mystery Men was lampooning the genre's sillier aspects in brilliantly foolish fashion. A big budget production that fizzled at the box office, this ensemble effort boasts a surprisingly strong cast that unites some Oscar-caliber actors with some first rate comedians.

Mystery Men’s greatness rests in the utter absurdity of its characters. The titular heroes are a decidedly disposable bunch with powers that are underwhelming at best: The Shoveler (William H. Macy) digs holes and whacks enemies with his weapon of choice, the shovel; The Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) cracks awful puns in a fake English accent while hurling his mother's silverware at foes; The Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell) can render himself invisible, but, conveniently, only when no one is looking; The Spleen (Paul Reubens) is cursed with unending flatulence; The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo) topples opponents with a custom bowling ball; Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller) kicks his girly fighting skills up a notch by becoming really, really angry; and The Sphinx (Wes Studi) conveys a fabricated mystique while passing off double-talking jargon as timeless wisdom ("he who questions training only trains himself at asking questions").

When Champion City's only legitimate superhero, Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear), is kidnapped by the nefarious Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), these ragtag wannabes take it upon themselves to rescue him and save their town. But in the process, they discover their role model is just a narcissistic sellout more interested in sponsorships than justice, and that true heroism comes from the heart. It's a sappy sentiment that has spawned too many bad stories, but, like everything else in this pen-and-ink-colored world, it's there poking fun at a subculture cornerstoned on masked freaks and tight spandex.

Mystery Men is often dismissed as just another bad movie. But when one considers questionable superhero fare like Daredevil and Batman Forever, it's clear that a campy self-awareness can go a long way. Those interested in seeing the comic book flick turned on its side should check out this underappreciated lunacy that is strangely unique, if nothing else. After all, how many instances are there of Pee Wee Herman breaking wind in the face of Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush? (Hopefully for Mr. Rush, the answer is "not many.") (Andrew Manning)