Mystery Team

The very premise sounds so promising, not least with Donald Glover involved, and as soon as we start watching our hopes are borne out. I'm not familiar with Derrick Comedy, but Glover, DC Pierson, Dominic Dierkes, and Dan Eckman have created a wonderfully silly, fun mystery comedy that serves up hearty laughs from the moment it begins. Cheekily twisting up the childish play of "boy detectives" with very adult scenarios (sex, nudity, murder, swear swords), and teenagers who remain trapped in a hopelessly naïve , innocent mindset, results in a steady stream of playful ridiculousness. More than that, the troupe plays fast and loose with every conceivable facet of the characters, dialogue, scene writing, and narrative, making every excuse for costume changes, simple-minded misunderstandings of the most mundane aspects of the modern world, and in contrast, sudden swerves to very mature subject matter and violence. I expected I'd enjoy this and I'm not disappointed; 'Mystery Team' is a blast!

The narrative at large is surprisingly solid, if admittedly nothing we wouldn't seen in the average Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew novel, or an episode of 'Murder, she wrote.' That recognizable bent is part of the charm, though, and anyway, the picture is built purely for fun in the first place; along the way there are some select moments that are kind of brilliant. I won't say that it's altogether perfect, as the plot follows an arc that couldn't possibly be more tried and true. Moreover, as the flick shifts from the arrested development of principals Jason, Duncan, and Charlie to the more earnest, adult-oriented sequences there are surely some tonal issues on hand, and I'd also say that in and of themselves some of the sleazier inclusions are maybe a step too far outside the bounds of the scenario the feature has devised. To that same end, while it's part and parcel of the dichotomy of "boy detectives in an adult world," it's worth noting some less welcome language in the dialogue including homophobia and ableism. Yet no matter how severely one may view such matters, or how wide the swings in tone, the fact remains that 'Mystery Team' wants only to entertain, and it's so reliably witty that it's wonderfully funny from the very beginning through to the very end.

All eyes are on Glover here first and foremost, for every reason, and the wild energy he gives Jason reminds of Troy Barnes in 'Community' taken to an even greater level. He's handily matched, though by Pierson and Dierkes as they round out the titular trio, and that's not to count out anyone else involved; among so many others, it's always a joy to see Aubrey Plaza anywhere, and even in her full-length movie debut she's terrific in her supporting part. Those stunts and effects that are employed look great, Eckman's direction is very capable, and in all other ways this is very well made. The key remains the humor, though, and between the screenplay and the acting that brings it to life, there are very few moments that aren't delightful. Particular with the excessive extremity of some of the adult-oriented subject matter this won't appeal to all comers; for that matter, some of the comedy is a tad, well, juvenile, beyond even the scope of the premise. It's not wholly flawless. Any reasonable criticisms to be made are far outweighed by the value the film has to offer, however, and I think most viewers would surely have a good time here to one degree or another. It may not be a total must-see, but all the way through 'Mystery Team' is a joy, and if you're seeking something light to put a smile on your face it's hard to go wrong here!

You have to see this movie.

"Mystery Team" is a parody of a phenomenon that was never itself a film: The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and especially Encyclopedia Brown.

They manage to walk the line -- like the first Austin Powers film -- so that it's neither too wacky so you can't believe it and don't care about the characters, but not too boring that it's not full of subtle interplay.

The main gag is the innocence of the boys, who are thrust into adult situations continually. It's all about the acting in this film, and kudos especially to "Donald Glover". Dressing like an outrageous hobo, for example, could come across as really stupid in a film with Jim Carrey or Rob Schneider, who play up their roles too much. Donald manages to do it consistently.

On top of that, there are a several delightful plot twists that you won't see coming. The film tries to balance the boys basically being incompetent with allowing them to succeed in a way that isn't too corny.

It's laugh-out-loud funny throughout, a genuine must-see if you like intelligent edgy comedies. Note, it's not really meant to be a kids film. There's a lot of raunchy humor.

I'll give Mystery Team a well-earned 9 out of 10. It just missed a 10 because the ending was good but not quite a classic.

Not sure why some people hate the movie so much. Of course this isn't a family film and the movie is not to be taken so seriously. I suppose that a movie can't please everyone. I for one am a fan of Derrick Comedy and this was good time spent. I hadn't laughed from a movie as much as I have after watching this one. Although I did feel that one of the main three characters was left out, it actually portrayed what the character's personality was. The first couple of minutes didn't make the movie seem that great, but as the story progresses, it gets better. As for the plot itself, it's not what makes the movie good. This movie is a comedy, and for what comedies do, it was spot on. In the end it's going to be up to you to decide whether you like it or not, but I for one recommend it. Maybe it's because of all the hours I've been awake so far, but I was laughing the whole way through.

I enjoyed the ultra-low budget "Mystery Team" a whole lot, just like I enjoyed the equally low budget comedy "The Foot Fist Way." The concept is a great one--three grown men who used to be a locally famous mystery solving team when they were kids (like Mystery Incorporated or the Hardy Boys) but who never grew out of it. The jokes and the story are funny, but the premise isn't set up early enough in the story. It seems to me like a whole opening segment is missing--one that showed the Mystery Team as children solving at least one kiddie mystery and becoming famous for it. The refer to this history quite frequently, but it's never explicitly shown or explained. If you didn't already know (by reading a synopsis or the box) then you might be a bit lost the first half hour or so.

But still, a pretty amazing job for a zero-budget comedy.

UPDATE: I just watched the DVD with the commentary and learned that just such an opening sequence as I described above was filmed--one that showed the Mystery Team as kids, wearing the same clothes and everything. The Derrik people explained that "it just didn't work." Now I'm even more disappointed! It's even worse that this CRUCIAL SEQUENCE did indeed exist, and they actually edited it out! That's right--they purposely edited out the set-up to the high-concept joke that is the basis for the entire story! It's tantamount to editing out the first 30 minutes of "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" because you don't think it's all that important to show the audience that he was a wacky guy who time traveled from the sixties. (he's still funny, right?)

Mystery Team would have made TWICE as much money ($10k?) if they had included the set up to their hour and a half joke. Coulda been a "10" instead of a "7." What an f up!

Went into this film with zero knowledge of DERRICK comedy (the name reminds me of a famous German TV detective series) or the movie. Well, I must say I laughed more during this film than any other comedy I've seen this year. The dialog and deadpan delivery coupled with a truly clever script result in some genuine hilarity.

For the uninitiated, like myself, the following might help you decide whether this is something you'd like to watch. The film centers around three young (high school senior) "detectives" who've been solving various mysteries (disappearing kitty, stolen lunch, etc.) for a dime a pop throughout their childhood, when they are suddenly thrust into the midst of an honest to goodness real crime investigation. The plot is motivated by a basic fish out of water storyline, whereupon the three chaps stumble around in the adult world mostly unaware of what is going on around them, which makes for some genuinely funny situations.

The lead actors are affable and quickly pull the audience to their side. Unfortunately the supporting cast provides uneven performances, and the entire movie has a "homemade" feel to it. That doesn't begrudge the film's strengths though, carried by the three principals and the comic situations and dialog, which are presented and delivered perfectly. Considering the minimal budget with which they must have worked, one can look past the deficiencies.

I gave the movie 8 stars because I laughed an awful lot, and that's what a comedy is supposed to do, make one laugh. This also reminded me of the Broken Lizard comedy team and Super Troopers. Hopefully the DERRICK team will be able to sustain the momentum and keep making movies as funny as this one, with a better supporting cast and more sure handed direction, which could easily get them atop the current comedy heap.