Mystery Team (2009)

I stumbled upon this film years ago and due to the recent popularity of a review I wrote, I decided to write reviews for films that deserve praise. I had always been a fan of Donald Glover, I can't pinpoint exactly when I discovered him but I think it was around the time his special "Weirdo" came out. Through the help of IMDb I discovered he was in a film called "Mystery Team." It was available for free on Hulu so I decided to give it a shot...And I laughed my buttocks off! I honestly have not laughed harder at a movie than I did when I was watching Mystery Team. DERRICK comedy delivered a hilarious screenplay and well-executed acting. This film may not be for anyone though. The target audience is likely men ages 18-30. Which is why I think it's ratings might be skewed a bit but it is definitely worth the watch. It is full of unpredictable laughs right until the very last scene.thefilmclerk.wordpress.com

One day, I was lucky to find derrick comedy when scrolling through youtube on a boring Sunday afternoon, as I recall. This troupe led the way for many others, since it was the first youtube "channel" with scripted comedy videos. Some of there videos, such as "Bro Rape" and "Jazz Man" are literally hysterical and will have you rolling on the floor spurting with laughter. I don't know why this movie was so underrated, maybe it was due to there limited release in theaters and how it was billed as an "independent" comedy. Nonetheless, the movie is truly hysterical, due to how the dialogue remains sharp and witty through the one and a half hour venture. Also, how oblivious the three main characters toward everything and how situations get progressively worse for them, makes the movie a worthwhile and fun time. If you are at least 14/15 or older or derrick comedy fans, you really don't want to miss out on this great and funny film. If you enjoy the film, which you did :), I will recommend Donald Glover's stand-up show "Weirdo" because his stand up performance had a similar feel to this film. I hope to see more from donald glover and have high expectations for the "Atlanta" series, premiering on FX. You'll have a great time with this very funny film for the great parody and excellent comedic dialogue.

We haven't seen a good kid detective since "Harriet the Spy." No, the "Spy Kids" franchise doesn't count — I'm talking old school. Donald Glover, D.C. Pierson and Dominic Dierkes put their own grown-up spin on the genre best exemplified by "Encyclopedia Brown" with their comedy "Mystery Team," a coming-of-age story infused with mystery and plenty of slapstick.Jason (Glover), Duncan (Pierson) and Charlie (Dierkes) are three high school seniors who never grew out of being kid detectives, thus spending time tracking down first graders for schoolyard bullying or neighborhood high jinks instead of chasing after girls. They don't swear, they're oblivious to sexual references and their street smarts are non-existent. When a young girl comes to their booth and pays them a dime to find out who killed her parents, they suddenly realize they have an opportunity to prove that they're still relevant to the community that used to adore them.After ruling out all possible sixth grade suspects, the Mystery Team eventually finds itself a promising lead thanks to the town hobo. Soon, of course, they find themselves in way over their heads. Pushed to the limit, the case not only tests their courage, but also their friendship.From a humor perspective, there's a lot going on. Between each character's idiosyncrasies, the team's collective childish ignorance and some R-rated slapstick, "Mystery Team" has its own comedic style distilled from these various styles. Some of its wickedly funny while other jokes (such as Charlie's bone-headed nature) become redundant. From a talent perspective, Glover leads the way. Jason is supposed to be a master of disguise. All of his disguises are completely ridiculous and horribly misconstrued. For example, when the team's suspects head to a "gentleman's club," they attempt to get in wearing top hats, sporting monocles and speaking with accents. Glover not only has fun going over the top with his disguises, but he works in some awkward humor and some sarcasm as well. He should evolve into a mainstream comedic force in the not-too-distant future.At times, "Mystery Team" is hard to take seriously. The child-like ignorance brings about some funny moments, but to presume that these guys are completely oblivious to this point in their lives seems odd. There comes a point where the humor of the main characters should not trump how believable and relatable they are as people. Except for a couple scenes involving Jason's folks, their parents aren't involved. Considering real parents would not have condoned such childish behavior at their age, it would've been nice for them to be a bit more involved. However, the script does handle the more dramatic coming-of-age elements rather well and you'll like the characters regardless."Mystery Team" has a good time playing with its clever concept and as such it's a joy to watch. Despite being rather light-hearted and silly, it's easy enough to enjoy, not unlike a good razor-thin kid detective book.~Steven CVisit my site at http://moviemusereviews.com

Thirty seconds into Mystery Team, I was already laughing. And it stayed that good throughout the movie.This is like their sketch comedy, but in my opinion, better. The jokes are hilarious and constant, the plot pretty good although it's mostly a backdrop for the humour, and I thought every actor in this was great. The Derrick boys, your three main characters, are masters of facial expression. Donald Glover did the soundtrack too, which is a definite plus.If you want an idea what the movie's like, look up "Mystery Team Adventures: The Case of the Haunted Hotel" on youtube. It's a 5 minute short with the same characters.I cannot understand how this movie has such a low rating. I just can't. I made an IMDb account just to rate it 10 stars. Watch it!