The Specials, an independent superhero satire, and according to the writer of the SF film, James Gunn, isn't a cut-rate version of last year's Mystery Men. After having a chat with Eon Magazine, Gun comments about the film: "If somebody says The Specials is about second-rate superheroes, that's where the similarities end."

Gunn also added, "Besides that, Mystery Men is a slapstick action film. Our movie is a character comedy. It's about human beings. It's about being a superhero as a human being. It's not about being a superhero and fighting. They're totally different movies. I would actually say that in some ways Mystery Men and X-Men are more alike than The Specials and Mystery Men."

The Specials, which opened in limited release on Sept. 18, tells the story of America's "seventh-best superhero team" and stars Gunn, Thomas Haden Church, Paget Brewster, Rob Lowe, Jamie Kennedy, Judy Greer, Kelly Coffield, Sean Gunn, Jordan Ladd, Mike Schwartz and Jim Zuvelic. Check out more information about the film at IMDB.com.