The Specials

More amusing in parts than as a whole, this feature-film superhero spoof is a worthy companion piece to the similarly themed Mystery Men or the animated cult TV series The Tick, but it fails to reach their satiric heights. The Specials are the sixth or seventh greatest superhero team in the world, but it's not their world-saving exploits that are the focus here--rather, it's the squabbles at their suburban L.A. headquarters, the disastrous launch of their new line of action figures, and the plague of bad PR that garners the sporadic laughs. The cast is game--including Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) as team leader The Strobe, Rob Lowe as The Weevil, Jamie Kennedy as reformed supervillain Amok, and especially Judy Greer as Deadly Girl--but the flashes of clever wit and pulp wisdom are too frequently overshadowed by cheap and crude attempts at humor. Boasting a decent anamorphic widescreen transfer, DVD extras include a pair of commentaries, deleted scenes, “Toy Commercial” and “Wedding Video” segments, and behind-the-scenes photos. Optional. (M. Johanson)