Raven Haller > Sophomore > English and Media Communications Studies > UMBC
Lionsgate’s new film, Mystery Team is a chuckle-worthy, explicit, Hardy Boys mystery, with all the randomness of The Hangover (but not as many laughs). A group of kid sleuths are all grown-up and still solving crimes on the playground when a local murder gets their attention.
This is the first feature length production by Derrick Comedy, a group which includes: Dan Eckman, Donald Glover, DC Pierson, Meggie McFadden, and Dominic Dierkes. The comedy group made it big on YouTube with short sketches, and is originally from NYU.
The plot is fairly simple: Three high school virgins and outcasts are still stuck in their elementary school days of solving simplistic playground whodunits. When a local couple is murdered the team vows to help discover the killer. Their quest for justice includes a dash of romance, a strip club with disgusting bathrooms, and a drug dealer whose girlfriend is a bit too friendly.
The movie has several “I didn’t see that coming” moments as well as several, “WTF?!” moments that keep it entertaining. Although bits were too vulgar for my taste, it’s pretty standard college fair.
The cast includes:
Donald Glover, TV’s “Community,” TV’s “30 Rock”
DC Pierson, TV’s “Community”
Dominic Dierkes, TV’s “Parks and Recreation,” TV’s “Community”
Aubrey Plaza, Funny People, TV’s “Parks and Recreation,” TV’s “30 Rock”
Bobby Moynihan, TV’s “Saturday Night Live,” When in Rome, The Invention of Lying
Matt Walsh, The Hangover, Role Models, Old School, TV’s “Upright Citizens Brigade”
The DVD goes on sale May 25th. It includes the standard, “making of” and “deleted scenes” special features, as well as several other cool features, like a preproduction test scene, a testament to Mystery Team’s Supporters, and the story of Wally Cummings, the character actor who visited the set of Mystery Team.
Although the movie has gotten stellar reviews from other sources, I’m inclined to only give it two out of four stars. Some of the crudity seemed to be purposeless vulgarity, and some scenes that were clearly intended to be funny just came off as strange or stupid. Nevertheless I did find it amusing and it kept me guessing. Overall, it was an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half, but I wouldn’t watch it again, and I wouldn’t pay to see it.
