
MEGAMIND 3D (REVIEW)
Rated
PG 95 mins
Voices by: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, J.K. Simmons, Ben
Stiller, Jonah Hill, Jessica Schutte
An extremely clever
send-up as well as a faithful ode to the superhero movie with excellent animation
and hilarious storytelling.
Blue-skinned with a bulbous cranium,
Megamind is a bad guy who loves the sound of his own voice. The bumbling super-criminal
is currently bored to tears as he has finally defeated his good guy nemesis, Metro
Man. Brad Pitt is a defined choice and seems to relish his gleaming, wide-eyed
and smirking hero to the people. He is funny but not as twisted as his enemy.
What's a villain to do? Non stop laughter follows, which keeps moving forward
on a upscale level until the very end.
Not to be compared to
a Pixar Disney feature, this DreamWorks production comes from the same mindset
as 'Shrek' franchise and the recent triumph, 'Despicable Me'. The opening begins
with a bang and cleverly introduces various characters and their flaws, way before
the plot is set in motion. Without giving too much away, a surprise twist changes
the course of the story and becomes a valued point to focus on the swashbuckling
on hand. Megamind voiced by Will Ferrell seems to be allowed to improvise whenever
he wants to, that's a good thing as his sharp wit speaks volumes for the entertaining
aspect of his character.
Undeniably full of heart, sympathies
remain with Megamind even though the strong handsome former unbeatable hero Metro
Man is on everyone's Christmas card list. Romance is also in the air but who is
the fondness directed towards, you have to watch closely to find out as a reporter
(Tina Fey) juggles the boys affections in aim to get a good story. The 3D enhances
the visual wit and for once doesn't feel like an afterthought, matched only by
the vocal absurdity.
For adults in the audience, the jokes
may stir the child inside, good solid humour making for jubilant but slow burning
cleverness in every one-liner delivery. When the bad guy gets all the love, you
just know any kind of predictability is out the window. The soundtrack bops along
with all eras represented. From Elvis, AC/DC, Guns 'n' Roses to George Thorogood
and Michael Jackson, the tunes are as varied as the plot activity.
The
verdict is no matter what age or mood you may be in, Megamind is a favourable
comedy that's stylish and full of affection delivering warmth and humour all rolled
into one.
Shane A. Bassett