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The past 25 years of cinema have been overshadowed by the emergence of superhero movies as a driving box office force, so much so that filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron have openly hoped that the genre would go the way of the Western. Given the emergence of superhero fatigue — especially with Sony’s Marvel films like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter — they may get their wish. But if there was one movie from the turn of the century that was ahead of the curve, it was , the superhero spoof that hit theaters in 1999. It’s also our pick for the one Amazon Prime Video movie that you need to watch in January.
At the time that was released, the only Marvel movie that had any traction was and DC was coming off of the disastrous Batman & Robin. Comparatively, Dark Horse Comics had a good run of comic book movies in the 1990s including , Timecop, and, of course, . The source material was writer and artist Bob Burden’s , a title that has never crossed into the mainstream. But it turned out to be an early predictor of what the superhero genre would become. In fact, may be even more timely in 2025 than it was at the time of its release.
It is the sole film directed by Kinka Usher, who returned to directing commercials following its release. Today, it stands as an underrated cult classic, and here are a few reasons why you should consider watching it this month.
The ensemble is absolutely hilarious.
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This film featured a wealth of comedic talent, including Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Reubens, Hank Azaria, and William H. Macy, who portrayed a group of misfit superheroes without an official team name. Wes Studi made a brief appearance as The Sphinx, an occasional ally to the group. Notably, this marked Geoffrey Rush's first major Hollywood role before he became famous for his performance in the Pirates of the Caribbean series alongside Johnny Depp. Rush took on the role of Casanova Frankenstein, a brilliant yet deranged character who escapes from confinement to challenge Captain Amazing (played by Craig Kinnear) and ultimately poses a threat to Champion City. Additionally, Eddie Izzard appeared as Tony, Casanova's loyal henchman.
It's a comedic take on superheroes that maintains a sense of urgency and importance.
The narrative embraces a deliberately ridiculous tone, yet it remains grounded enough that the plot retains significance. The team faces serious life-threatening challenges, inadvertently leading to the unfortunate downfall of one of their fellow heroes. The super abilities showcased are far from extraordinary; for instance, Mr. Furious (Stiller) merely gains a bit of strength when he gets angry, Blue Raja (Azaria) wields kitchen utensils as his arsenal, and The Shoveler (Macy) excels at using a shovel. Among the rest, The Bowler (Garofalo) boasts some skill with her nearly indestructible bowling ball. Meanwhile, Spleen (Reubens) and Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell) are largely ineffective, though they have good intentions. The film features a side-splitting superhero audition scene that inadvertently highlights the team's relative competence. Ballerinaman (Robert Musselman) stands out as the most humorous of the aspiring heroes.
What truly stands out about this film is its ability to grasp the conventions of superhero storytelling while simultaneously poking fun at them. Given that audiences are now well-versed in the genre's clichés, it feels even more humorous when viewed through that lens.
It inadvertently influenced popular culture.
Despite not surpassing cult status in the 25 years since its debut, this film is known for introducing Smash Mouth's hit. Interestingly, many attribute this to Shrek, which was released two years afterwards. The song resonates more in this particular movie, and it even features a music video showcasing the cast alongside scenes from the film.
That's just a fraction of the reasons why it continues to be significant as a superhero movie, even after so many years. There hasn't been a sequel, nor was one necessary. It stands strong as a standalone narrative that has aged impressively over the past quarter-century.
Enigmatic Warriors
