What if Lex Luthor really killed Superman? Say he had a diabolical plan that actually worked out, and the Man of Steel succumbed to the weakening power of kryptonite and was finished off by a laser beam deathray? That’s the premise explored in Dreamworks Studio’s new feature film Megamind.
Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Brad Pitt, Megamind begins with the archetypal hero/villain origin story. Blue-skinned, big-headed Megamind and the perfectly built Metro Man had very simple (or more appropriately, similar) beginnings; the only difference? Metro Man’s space pod rocketed into a beautiful, well-lit mansion, knocking Megamind’s pod off course and into the local state penitentiary. Both were raised accordingly, except they both attended the same school. Metro Man rose to prominence as the city’s (named Metro City, very similar to Superman’s own Metropolis) savior; Megamind as its villain. And thus the two were forever locked in the dichotomy of good vs. evil. Except this isn’t your typical superhero film. Thank goodness for that.
By Megamind’s own accidental genius, his current evil plan actually works, much to the city’s and his surprise. Everyone sets about coping with the loss of Metro Man; even Megamind. Bored out of his copious cranium, Megamind decides to create his own hero to fight. The process, however, goes wrong, with the villain creating something worse. The rest of the movie details his attempts to really set things right.
Dreamworks Animation has had a difficult time making really good, worthwhile movies that aren’t simply cleverly humorous. Shrek had heart, as did its first sequel, Shrek 2, while also completely skewering the idyllic fairy tale story. The other Shrek outings didn’t fare so well. The Madagascar series featured annoying characters in (sometimes) humorous situations. Kung Fu Panda was another step in the right direction, but was followed by the very lackluster Monsters vs. Aliens. This year’s earlier film, How to Train Your Dragon, is their best so far. Funny, witty, cute, and more importantly, heartfelt, the dragon movie is a very possible contender for the 2010 Best Animated Picture. Where does Megamind stand in all this?
To be honest, I was not expecting much from this film. It got a decent score on the Tomatometer, and critics had mixed to good reactions to it. I expected no more from it than a somewhat clever parody of superhero flicks. My expectations may explain how I was taken aback by what a well-done animated film this is. It won’t storm awards shows, but it really takes the hero/villain aspect of action movies and turns it upside down. What if both hero and villain got bored with their job and tried to do something differently? What would happen? That’s what Megamind is all about. There’s a good mix of wit, story, character, and heart in this movie. I won’t say it’s not cliche, because it certainly has that aspect. And not as much is at stake here and there’s never any real suspense (go to Pixar if you want that much goodness) but yet, Megamind is a very capable and decent superhero (or supervillain?) film.
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