Mystery Team
(Dan Eickman - director, 2009)
“There go three virgins...”
Sometimes, you just stumble onto a gem. I'll admit, I actively go searching for the bizarre and wonderful when it comes to cinema. I feel I owe it to you, the readers.
Should I pluralize that?
Is there more than one of you?
Anyway...yes, sometimes even I get lazy and just use a new to DVD movie. But this time, I think I hit the mother load. This is now a new favorite. Combining just the right amount of gross out humor with three fish out of water characters who just don't know any better, Mystery Team is a winner.
This movie follows such a great premise: what if those mystery solving, Encyclopedia Brown (or, a more apt if lesser known example, Alfred Hitchcock's Three Detectives Series...which is a beloved childhood favorite of mine) type kids never really grew up? Sure, they grew older, but they stayed essentially the same. Here we meet Jason (Donald Glover), the leader and a “master of disguise,” Duncan (DC Pierson), a “boy genius,” and Charlie (Dominic Dierkes), “the strongest kid around.” In reality, they are none of these things. But, these guys are great actors. They get deep into their parts and you really believe in them.
The boys haven't gotten acclaim since they were much younger. They're 18 now, and have just stumbled into the biggest mystery of their lives. A little girl wants them to solve the double murder of her parents. Jason meets her sister, Kelly (Aubrey Plaza), and it's movie love at first sight. Now, they have to solve this case! With the unlikely assistance of Jordy (Bobby Moynihan), a local grocery cashier, they find their leads and take on the case. But this case is more dangerous than anything they've ever attempted. There are some really wonderful actors in this movie, and I would be happy to see them continue to spread this kind of manic insanity throughout the film industry. The Upright Citizens Brigade's Matt Walsh and Saturday Night Live alum John Lutz make memorable cameos, only adding to the laughs.
Our three leads are the members of Derrick Comedy, an internet sketch comedy group from New York University. Donald Glover has moved on the show Community, Dominic Dierkes is a regular on the Onion News Network, and DC Pierson has written a young adult novel.
Here's one of their best videos, careful, it's NSFW:
I cannot recommend this movie more highly. It made me laugh out loud throughout, and the payoff was worth it. See this movie, and I think you'll enjoy it.
Special Mystery Features:
Audio Commentary
Making of Featurette
“Who is Wally Cummings?” comedy short
Gag reel/deleted scene montage
Pre Production Test Scene
Sword Club
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