What would happen if Lex Luthor finally managed to defeat Superman? That is the intriguing question posed by Tom McGrath’s Megamind, the latest feature from Dreamworks Animation which is all too happy to examine the superhero conventions before mercilessly spinning them on their head to comedic effect.
Megamind (voiced by Will Ferrell) is an abnormally intelligent alien sent to our planet as an infant just before his world is destroyed by a black hole. Only the literally big-headed protagonist lands on Earth at the same time as another supernaturally gifted baby, who grows up to become Metro Man (Brad Pitt), the heroic protector of Metro City. So what option does Megamind have, other than to employ his genius intellect for evil purposes and become a supervillain? However, his life takes a new turn when, after years of epic battles, he inadvertently manages to defeat his arch enemy.
Initial prospects do not look good for Megamind. Not only does it feel under pressure to live up to other countless superhero movies released on an annual basis, but it must also stand in the shadow of Universal’s Despicable Me, which also features a villain as a loveable anti-hero and was released just a month ago.
It comes as good news then that McGrath’s film is less concerned with Despicable’s sentimentality as it is with good laughs. Will Ferrell’s histrionic vocals are a perfect fit for Megamind’s over the top persona, who may well be the funniest blue character in animation since the Genie in Aladdin, while Brad Pitt delivers a few chuckles himself in his brief screen time as the ridiculously smug Metro Man (“Justice is a non-corrosive metal!”).
The film also manages to chuck in some genuinely intriguing existential musings (by comic book standards, at least) between the slapstick and one-liners. This is after all the story about a ying who’s lost its yang and the realisation that with no superhero to fight, a supervillain’s life serves little purpose.
Nevertheless, Megamind is not without its faults. The comedy wears thin in places – David Cross’ amusingly-named Minion fails to be the hilarious sidekick he should be – and the film does not exactly fare well in the originality department. Plot points are lifted from Superman, the classic rock soundtrack is pure Iron Man, and the aesthetic look of some characters is at times a little too reminiscent of another certain superhero caper released by Pixar. Its saving grace is the 3D, which actually adds dimension to Metro City with riveting, panoramic shots throughout the metropolis, rather than being just a gimmick to pull in viewers.
Ultimately though, despite being an enjoyable enough watch, Megamind is no super addition to the ever-growing list of animation films in Hollywood. It will have to be content being slightly above ordinary.
3/5
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