Review: Mystery Team

Year: 2009
Genre: Comedy
Stars: Donald Glover, D.C. Pierson & Dominic Dierkes
Director: Dan Eckman

Overview: A trio of child detectives were once the talk of the town solving childish mysteries like who's been sticking their fingers in their neighbors blueberry pie. Now at the age of 18, Jason, the master of disguise; Duncan, the boy genius and Charlie the strongest kid in the world must contend with a real murder, that and the fact that their innocence is at odds with reality.

Writing: The jokes come at the screen in rapid fire precession, delivered with a breezy staccato that keeps up with the best SNL skits. Though there are a few more "suspenseful" moments in the third act that aren't as jovial, the gags just don't let up and many of them hit their mark. Its funny that the idea of a post-modernist take on Encyclopedia Brown hasn't occurred to anyone before. Anyone who has read kiddie mystery novels knows this kind of naivety is ripe for parody. As for the mystery...well like a love story tagged on a buddy comedy, it only serves as a vehicle to more hilarity and isn't engaging in its own rite.

Directing: Director Dan Eckman, completes his first feature with this film and manages to balance the humor very well. Unfortunately when the movie gets a little more serious as the mystery comes to its predictable climax, the directors freshman colors start to show. One particular scene near the end the movie seems to veer off base in more than one way and goes on a tangent on maturity and friendship. What follows is a textbook example of character development that could have been beneficial if not treated as trite filler. One can hope that Eckman's next project will give him the opportunity to unleash the imagination that seems constrained here.

Acting: All three leads deserve praise for their energetic portrayals. D.C. Pierson makes Duncan an amiable mix of Mandark from Dexter's Lab and Napoleon Dynamite. Dominic Dierkes's Charlie is dumb and quiet but like Steve Carell's dimwitted weatherman in Ron Burgundy, he makes to make an impression. Donald Glover however manages to steal the show and most of its running time. Though he may sometimes be a nuisance, Glover's staunch determination and aw-schucks personality pulls the ensemble together. Bobby Moynihan also deserves credit as Jordy, the boys' confidant whose psyche is cracking under the reality of his pitiful existence.

Bankability: The film was written, produced and stars the cast of the internet comedy troupe Derrick Comedy who are famous for their skit "Bro-Rape". While Donald Glover contends that ultimately the group was made famous for fart jokes, they wanted to make a serious effort to make comedy gold. After a few months of filming and editing the movie was released at Sundance where it got a warm reception but got a barely noticeable theatrical debut. For fans of the troupe, this movie is a welcome sight and for others this film may not be the funniest movie ever but its a fun little diversion.

ALL-Factor: This film is a comedy first and foremost, and while it may have under the surface themes and can swerve into dramatic territory it all becomes filler to the scatological jokes. Thankfully the jokes themselves are excellent getting much of the humor from three naive boys at odds with the disgusting netherworld of crime.

Conclusion: While not downright hilarious, Mystery Team has a certain pluck that makes it all worthwhile. The jokes come fast and loose, the acting is well done and the directing is excellent for a first feature. The movie runs a spriteful 94 minutes and works on most levels. My only contention is the mystery itself which can be unyarned within the first 10 minutes but as someone on said "its not the destination its the journey".