Megamind

From the diabolical Dr. Evil in Austin Powers, to the sneaky Gru in Despicable Me, Hollywood seems to love exploring the various unseen sides of supervillains for comic effect. Megamind is the latest take in this trend, essentially telling the Superman origin story through the eyes of a brilliant alien mad scientist bent on world domination. It's sharper and wittier than you might expect. This is one of those movies where adults and kids will find themselves laughing at the same jokes for different reasons.

The film is the latest animated offering from Dreamworks, a studio that has long been in the shadow of Pixar, but has really started to pick up their game as of late. Earlier this year, they released How to Train Your Dragon, a film which, were it not for Toy Story 3, would pretty much be a shoe-in for an animated film prize at next year's Oscars. Megamind doesn't have quite the heart of Dragon, but it's easily got more laughs, and probably more laugh out loud moments than any other animated release this year. A lot of this has to do with the top flight voice cast that's been assembled. Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, David Cross, and Jonah Hill provide the voices for the lead characters, and bring not only their talent, but plenty of improvised adult humor to make sure the movie works on multiple levels. Kids will be entertained by the fast action and bright animation (provided you get to see it in 2D, without having to wear those murky 3D glasses), but don't be surprised if the adults are quoting their favorite lines on the drive home.

The film's opening moments introduce us to the titular antihero, and the story of how he came to be, which will probably be familiar to comic book fans the world over. A blue alien toddler with an enormous head is placed within an escape pod as his planet faces destruction. He is given a strange fish-like creature (who will grow up to be his "minion" and sidekick) and a hopeful message from his alien parents, which is unfortunately cut off by the escape pod door shutting, and rocketing the baby off into space. At that same moment, another escape pod is launched from a neighboring doomed planet. Within it is another baby - one who will live a life of love and wealth on Earth, and grow to be adored by millions as the gallant superhero, Metro Man (voice by Brad Pitt). As for the little blue visitor with the oversized head and the strange fish as his only friend, he will be forced to be raised by convicts, as his escape pod lands in the exercise yard of a prison on Earth. He will be seen as an outsider, shunned and unwanted by all. Thus, he grows to become the evil genius and Metro Man's arch rival, Megamind (Will Ferrell).

The movie has some fun with the rivalry that develops between the two superpowered visitors. Most of their conflicts revolve around a spirited, yet dry-witted reporter named Roxanne Ritchi (voiced wonderfully by Tina Fey). I like it how when Megamind kidnaps her at the beginning, hoping to set up a trap for Metro Man, she's quite nonchalant about the whole deal. She knows how the villain works, she's been through the whole "damsel in distress" routine before, and she's kind of tired of the whole deal. She's even tired of Metro Man having to save her. But the battle has an unexpected outcome, with Megamind victorious, and the virtuous Metro Man vaporized by a doomsday device. With his loyal fish Minion (David Cross) at his side, Megamind now finds himself in control of an entire city with no one to stop him. And that's just the problem. With no one to fight, Megamind becomes bored, and starts longing for the days when he had an arch rival to do battle with.

The plot speeds along, with Megamind and his Minion attempting to clone Metro Man, and make a superhero out of Roxanne's dweeby cameraman, Hal (Jonah Hill), only to learn too late that Hal was probably not the best candidate to give god-like powers to. But it's not the plot that matters here. It's the fast-paced direction by Tom McGrath (Madagascar), and the sharp screenplay by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. It has a lot of fun skewering the time-honored conventions of the superhero genre, and even some clever parody elements, such as a hilarious nod to Marlon Brando in the original Superman film. There is some heart in the film, as we discover Megamind, evil as he is, has always truly had a soft spot for the lovely Roxanne. But, it's the humor that works best here, and the jokes fortunately fly quite fast, and hit rather often.

That's what makes Megamind so lively and fun. Even if the joke doesn't work, you appreciate the filmmakers for trying. And the cast is more than game. Ferrell and Fey throw themselves into their individual roles, as does David Cross, who makes a nice straight man to Ferrell's over the top performance. And even though he doesn't have a lot of screentime, Brad Pitt has the egotistical superhero act down. This is a highly energetic comedy with some sensationally filmed action sequences, a lot of big laughs, and a sense that everyone involved had a lot of fun making it. This is one of those movies where you picture the filmmakers walking home with big, goofy grins on their faces.

I again must stress, if you can, try to find a theater showing the film in 2D. It's how I saw it, and I really admired the film's vibrant artstyle. I can't picture any improvement being given by those dark, uncomfortable glasses. The movie doesn't exactly call out for 3D in the first place. So go ahead, and avoid the extra surcharge. Don't expect Toy Story 3, but do expect a lot of fun.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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