CREDIT: MOUSE HUNT

Sometimes, going in to see a movie blind can be an incredibly rewarding experience, especially when the film is so poorly marketed that anything appealing about it is lost to potential viewers. I feel especially strongly about this mostly forgotten 1997 victim of bad marketing, Mouse Hunt.

A first glance at the poster seems to suggest a rather run-of-the-mill bland kids' movie, digested easily by children while boring adults to tears. But this quirky film is anything but; it's almost Tim Burtonesque (back when Tim Burton's flair wasn't overwrought and overdone) in its gothic visuals and hilarious black comedy. Yes, it's a black comedy, despite its rather childish two-men-try-to-catch-amouse premise, and it's one you definitely shouldn't bring six-year-old Timmy to.

Probably the first thing about Mouse Hunt that will surprise you greatly is its incredibly strong and consistent sense of visual style. The house and string factory our two misshapen Laurel-and-Hardytype protagonists inherit from their late father is creaky and gothic, but the motif doesn't end there. The streets and parks within the world of the film all carry a sense of wrought-iron mid-1900s flair, a timeless feeling that would make the movie unidentifiable in setting era if it wasn't for the occasional appearance of modern-day technology. It's actually quite impressive to see the amount of effort poured into giving the film its distinct looks.

Even superficial aesthetics aside, the film's comedy harkens back to the days of classic slapstick. Mouse Hunt has a unique brand of black comedy that carries a theme of constant failure. From the very get-go, the film's duo, Lars and Ernie, act as pallbearers for their father's funeral and accidentally drop the coffin, resulting in the body sliding out and directly into an open manhole. Everything from that moment is downhill for the film's characters, with lost careers, unrequited love, dealing with unscrupulous characters and much more being brought to the table. And the film of course, never takes itself seriously despite this. The elaborate traps the duo set for the pesky, intelligent mouse result in slapstick funny failure that never feels tired or played out.

Written by Adam Rifkin (Small Soldiers) and directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, Rango, The Ring) among others, Mouse Hunt has a real sense of flair. Lee Evans (There's Something About Mary) and Nathan Lane (The Lion King's Pumbaa) flex off their comedic talents and habitual mishaps without excessive mugging and other cheap comedic tricks to keep the audience in the film. Absolutely nothing about the film suggests it being a quick cash-in, but rather a comedy with brains carried on the shoulders of enthusiastic talent.

It feels comical to write such an academic piece for a bit of slapstick, but Mouse Hunt is one of those unfairly derided movies that are never given a chance, especially by the snobbier cinema goer. The film has true weight as comedy and gothic eye-candy. If you're looking for a film that harkens back to the days of classic Hollywood screwball comedy, Mouse Hunt nails it.