| “ | It's so easy when people care about each other. That is why evil will always have the edge. You good guys are always bound by the rules. | „ |
| ~ Casanova Frankenstein |
Casanova Frankenstein is the main antagonist of the 1999 live-action superhero comedy film Mystery Men.
He was portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, who later portrayed Steven Price in House on Haunted Hill, and Captain Barbossa in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Biography
Casanova Frankenstein is a highly intelligent and malicious German scientist who was credited as a supervillain in the history of Champion City because of his high-tech inventions and his affiliations with certain arch-criminals and criminal gangs as well as his frightening eyes and his soothing voice amidst his German accent that sounded purely evil. He was stopped by the well-sponsored Captain Amazing.
However, years later after he defeated the Red-Eyes gang that night in Champion City, Captain Amazing is finding that his skill at capturing villains has left the city with virtually no crime to stop and no villain to combat, and his corporate sponsors are threatening to terminate his funding. In order to create a need for a superhero, Amazing uses his alter ego, the billionaire lawyer Lance Hunt, to argue for the release of the insane supervillain Casanova Frankenstein. The plan backfires; once reunited with Tony P and his Disco Boys, and with Dr. Anabel Leek at his side, Frankenstein blows up the insane asylum, captures Amazing, and sets his sights on creating a doomsday device, the "Psycho-frakulator", which can bend reality and can both distort and burn people alive. Mr. Furious, while spying on Frankenstein's mansion, discovers Amazing's abduction, and tells the others.
The three realize they need more allies, and through word-of-mouth and try-outs, they bring aboard The Spleen, Invisible Boy, and The Bowler. The newly formed team "assaults" Casanova, which only succeeds in annoying him and damaging his car. While celebrating their victory, Tony P and his Disco Boys nearly kill them, but they are saved by the Sphinx. The Sphinx begins to train them, annoying Mr. Furious with his methods. They also recruit the mad scientist Dr. Heller, who specializes in non-lethal weaponry.
Attempting to save Captain Amazing, the group breaks into Casanova's mansion during a gathering of the city's various criminal gangs such as the Disco Girls who are the Disco Boys' female counterparts under the command of Tony C and Tony P, the drunken assailants known as the Frat Boys, the sexy but deadly Furriers, the tuxedo-wearing Suits, the Eastern assassins known as the Susies, and the hip-hop street gang known as the Not-So-Goodie-Mob. In their attempts to free him, however, Amazing becomes the first victim of the Psycho-frakulator. Without Amazing, the team despairs that there is no way they can save the city, but the Shoveler delivers a classic pep-talk that succeeds in changing the group's spirit. They assault the mansion, subduing most of the henchmen with their weapons and using their negligible powers to surprisingly good effect. Unfortunately, as the heroes approach Frankenstein, he reveals that he has kidnapped Mr. Furious' girlfriend, then proceeds to activate the Psycho-frakulator and wreak havoc upon the city. While the team tries to stop the device, Mr. Furious takes on Frankenstein. After being taunted by and taking a beating from Frankenstein, Mr. Furious unleashes his inner rage and actually manages to fight effectively. He defeats Frankenstein, who is thrown into the core of the Psycho-frakulator and killed by its reality-bending powers. The rest of the team helps the Bowler use her bowling ball to destroy the Psycho-frakulator. They escape the mansion as the device implodes.
As the film closes, the team is interviewed by reporters, begging to know what their team name is. As they argue among themselves, one reporter states "Well, whoever they are, Champion City owes a great debt of gratitude to these 'Mystery Men'," but the others are too busy arguing to hear it.
Trivia
- Casanova is similar to Scar from The Lion King: They are highly intelligent villains who manipulate others into helping them with their schemes, and betray them when they see fit.