MYSTERY TEAM

Check your disbelief at the door

By DAVID DAY

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I, for one, would be glad to read this review.

Mystery Team is a comedy quite unlike anything currently in theaters, and it does take some explanation to truly enjoy this completely independent, low-budget flick from Derrick Comedy, a new comedic troupe only a few projects away from near ubiquity. It is very much a first stab at a full-length feature from a new voice in film. It is so odd, in fact, that the topsy-turvy world of independent film doesn't seem to have found it a proper distributor.

Like Bottle Rocket or the TV show Freaks and Geeks, Mystery Team is extra screwy in that it asks you to enter into a world where you not only need to suspend your disbelief, you should change your orientation of reality.

Jason (Donald Glover), Duncan (D.C. Pierson) and Charlie (Dominic Dierkes) are three kids who have never grown up. Throughout their immaturity, they haven't let go of their Encyclopedia Brown-esque neighborhood crime-solving business, where mysteries are solved for a dime apiece. All the conventions of Hardy Boys whodunits and Scooby Doo-like innocence are heretofore sent up and hijinks indeed ensue. There are more than a few moments of guffaws, but they come when you least expect it, and they come while the rest of the film is a good-natured fantasy of kids remaining kids.

Each character has his moment. Jason is the "master of disguise" in the trio and, despite being the smartest one, has his head in the clouds, refusing to let go of his childlike dreams. Duncan is the most physically funny, with his front teeth constantly jutting out and his glasses just a bit too big for his face. Charlie is the strongest, and therefore the dumbest. His idiotic phraseology and delayed response to danger comprise the moments you remember most. It also helps that these three actors are completely unknown—there is no way I could have pictured anyone else in these truly ridiculous parts.

The supporting characters are just as implausible as our heroes. Whether it's the child who is far too mature for his age, toting guns and making appearances in strip clubs, or the convenience store clerk who has fulfilled his lifelong dream of being a convenience store clerk, there is only one character who's grounded in reality, and it is, of course, the hot chick. There is also the mystery of who's committed the horrible crime our intrepid heroes have been roped into solving. But for any fan of goofy adolescent mystery books, there is no flipping ahead to solve the crime—only your prepubescent memories of how these capers usually shake out. And it does, perfectly.

It took me about 30 minutes, though, to look past the fact that none of this is remotely believable. Once the fantastic premise sets in, the comedy became much more enjoyable. And while it took one-third of the film to stuff my disbelief in a box, once it was firmly canned, Mystery Team became a flighty, whimsical treat with moments of outright hilarity. Quotes like "he blew into my mouth," "wood is nature's metal" and a scene containing an entirely different kind of penis joke make this film worth seeking out.

Just be glad you read this review.

MYSTERY TEAM
RATED | NR
OPENS | 1.29.10, EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BRATTLE THEATRE