A group of former Encyclopedia Brown-style child-detectives struggle to solve an adult mystery.A group of former Encyclopedia Brown-style child-detectives struggle to solve an adult mystery.A group of former Encyclopedia Brown-style child-detectives struggle to solve an adult mystery.
Kevin Dotcom Brown
- Bouncer
- (as Kevin Brown)
6.610K
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Featured reviews
So super phenomenal!!!!
I loved it. Loved it all over. I was on the edge of my seat, but I kept falling over with laughter. It was written in a way that was perfectly suited to the comedic voices of Bobby Moynihan, Matt Walsh, Jon Daly, Aubrey Plaza, etc but still maintained a really strong voice in and of itself.
Gun to my head, if I had to criticize it, I would say I could have used more Ben Schwartz. But I feel that way about EVERYTHING........
So so so good. I cannot say enough good things about this movie!!!! I feel as though any negative reviewers on here probably wanted to see a simple, straight-forward comedy and that it is not. It is an ethically challenging movie with really artistic choices and deep belly uncontrollable laughs.
Enjoy.
Gun to my head, if I had to criticize it, I would say I could have used more Ben Schwartz. But I feel that way about EVERYTHING........
So so so good. I cannot say enough good things about this movie!!!! I feel as though any negative reviewers on here probably wanted to see a simple, straight-forward comedy and that it is not. It is an ethically challenging movie with really artistic choices and deep belly uncontrollable laughs.
Enjoy.
A how to on making an SNL movie (without SNL)
Hilarious. Cute. Adorable. Hard hitting action. Swear words! This movie has everything.
Seriously, Comedy Examiner said this was the funniest move of 2010 (June writing) and I seriously agree.
I saw this sketch comedy team on YT and they were very, very funny. Yet they rose to new heights by combining my favorite genre as an 8 year old with world weary modernism. I just wish that my favorite SNL characters would have made a film in this vein. It's funny; very funny. It's fresh and it hasa lot of heart...then spleen, then kidneys.
Best of luck to these guys and looking forward to the sequel.
Seriously, Comedy Examiner said this was the funniest move of 2010 (June writing) and I seriously agree.
I saw this sketch comedy team on YT and they were very, very funny. Yet they rose to new heights by combining my favorite genre as an 8 year old with world weary modernism. I just wish that my favorite SNL characters would have made a film in this vein. It's funny; very funny. It's fresh and it hasa lot of heart...then spleen, then kidneys.
Best of luck to these guys and looking forward to the sequel.
Perfect and laugh-out-loud funny with great performances
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.
"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.
A Dumb movie made by Smart people that somehow works, even though it probably shouldn't
'Mystery Team' is a quirky little marvel. A concept that makes much more sense as a 10-minute comedy sketch is stretched into a 90-minute feature film and only really has one joke, but somehow it works.
That speaks to the talent of creative minds behind the project. They manage to take a marginally funny idea that becomes stale rather quickly, and somehow, they will this whole vehicle to keep trudging forward. Like MacGyver rigging up the device he needs out of whatever is laying around, the guys from Derrick Comedy enthusiastically squeeze the last drop out of everything at their disposal and get the job done.
The plot: three best friends work as detectives, calling themselves The Mystery team. For a hefty fee of a dime, the group will take on any case that comes their way, which is typically limited to the petty misdeeds of seven-year-olds. The team's exploits were charming when they were also seven, but they're now high school seniors, and their behavior makes them outcasts among their peers (but greatly amusing to movie viewers).
That's the primary joke of the movie-these kids are too old for this stuff. They're awkward and immature. They still think girls are icky. There isn't much to the bit, but the filmmakers have an advanced sense of when to smartly weave in secondary story elements and hilarious supporting characters to keep things entertaining. All the actors appear very aware of what movie they're in. They play their parts without an ounce of self-doubt and just the right level of cheesiness.
It becomes apparent very quickly that while the movie is dumb, it's made by smart people. It leans into its own absurdity. The actors are playing 18-year-olds but look 25 and act like they're seven. The Mystery Team members behave as if they're in a G movie despite all the debauchery from everything and everyone around them being decidedly hard R.
The silly, small-scale hijinks is given reason to become a full-length movie when a sad little girl asks The Mystery Team to solve her parents' murder, and they find themselves involved for the first time in a very adult case. Relying on their usual tactics and disguises, they manage to make impressive progress on the mystery, despite looking ridiculous every step of the way.
That's part of the brilliance of this movie. It's ridiculous because the characters are ridiculous, and it knows that. Many of jokes don't land because they aren't meant to. They're meant to emphasize how goofy and awkward these wannabe detectives are in every human interaction.
It's obvious from watching this film that the creative team members were capable of more. Glover became a superstar and the other members of Derrick Comedy all found their niche in writing or performing. Many of the supporting actors also landed more lucrative roles in movies or TV.
This is by no means a classic. The stars may look back on this and cringe, but they shouldn't. It's a better movie than most will give it credit for, and it's the one that will live on as what was a sign of greater things to come for this talented ensemble.
That speaks to the talent of creative minds behind the project. They manage to take a marginally funny idea that becomes stale rather quickly, and somehow, they will this whole vehicle to keep trudging forward. Like MacGyver rigging up the device he needs out of whatever is laying around, the guys from Derrick Comedy enthusiastically squeeze the last drop out of everything at their disposal and get the job done.
The plot: three best friends work as detectives, calling themselves The Mystery team. For a hefty fee of a dime, the group will take on any case that comes their way, which is typically limited to the petty misdeeds of seven-year-olds. The team's exploits were charming when they were also seven, but they're now high school seniors, and their behavior makes them outcasts among their peers (but greatly amusing to movie viewers).
That's the primary joke of the movie-these kids are too old for this stuff. They're awkward and immature. They still think girls are icky. There isn't much to the bit, but the filmmakers have an advanced sense of when to smartly weave in secondary story elements and hilarious supporting characters to keep things entertaining. All the actors appear very aware of what movie they're in. They play their parts without an ounce of self-doubt and just the right level of cheesiness.
It becomes apparent very quickly that while the movie is dumb, it's made by smart people. It leans into its own absurdity. The actors are playing 18-year-olds but look 25 and act like they're seven. The Mystery Team members behave as if they're in a G movie despite all the debauchery from everything and everyone around them being decidedly hard R.
The silly, small-scale hijinks is given reason to become a full-length movie when a sad little girl asks The Mystery Team to solve her parents' murder, and they find themselves involved for the first time in a very adult case. Relying on their usual tactics and disguises, they manage to make impressive progress on the mystery, despite looking ridiculous every step of the way.
That's part of the brilliance of this movie. It's ridiculous because the characters are ridiculous, and it knows that. Many of jokes don't land because they aren't meant to. They're meant to emphasize how goofy and awkward these wannabe detectives are in every human interaction.
It's obvious from watching this film that the creative team members were capable of more. Glover became a superstar and the other members of Derrick Comedy all found their niche in writing or performing. Many of the supporting actors also landed more lucrative roles in movies or TV.
This is by no means a classic. The stars may look back on this and cringe, but they shouldn't. It's a better movie than most will give it credit for, and it's the one that will live on as what was a sign of greater things to come for this talented ensemble.
10marc05
Spot on as a comedy, not to be taken seriously
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.
Did you know
- TriviaThe three members of the mystery team are part of a comedy group called Derrick Comedy from New York University in 2006.
- GoofsJust after Jason hits Kelly with the broom, he goes into the kitchen and you can see the finger of a crew member in the lower left hand corner signal Kelly to give her next line, "Why are you here?"
- Crazy creditsThe bear in the man's picture at the end of the movie is credited as "White Bear" - "Himself"
- Alternate versionsIn addition to the theatrical release, which clocks in at "1 hr 37 min (97 min)", there also exists a version originally shown at Sundance which runs "1 hr 45 min (105 min) (Sundance) (USA)."
- SoundtracksThe Stand
Written and Performed by Donald Glover and Chris Ward
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $89,442
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,840
- Aug 30, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $89,442
- Runtime
- 1h 37m(97 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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