Review of Megamind (2010) by Jowana B — 01 Feb 2012

If the villain successfully kills the superhero, what happens next? A lot of existential reflection, apparently. This is the dilemma presented in the latest animation effort of Dreamworks. The makers of Shrek are on a rampage to challenge Pixar. Hot on the heels of of the adorable Despicable Me and the superb How to Train Your Dragon is the star-studded Megamind. Voice actors include comic top guns Will Ferrell and Tina Fey plus an actor named Brad Pitt, the film is a showcase of brilliant humor and charming pop cultural references. The premise is inspired and the twists and turns led to a satisfying conclusion. Though it seems to follow the heel-turned-hero narrative of Despicable Me, this movie stand on its own as another bright star in the animation firmament. The current batting average of Dreamworks in terms of production is in an all-time high but not enough to topple Pixar in its place. The difference between the two companies cannot be more obvious. Dreamworks prefer frenetic-paced flicks that thrive on pop culture laughs while its rival delivers beautiful sentimental films that touch the heart. Not that Megamind lacks heart. It has and quite an enlightened one at that. Just I had a bellyache from generous guffaws than a satisfied soul.

The paths of heroic Metroman (Pitt) and villainous Megamind (Ferrel) crossed when they were still babies. Endowed with great powers and gorgeous hair, Metroman grew up to become the defender of Metro City. Ignored by people and trained by hardcore criminals, Megamind worked his ass off to be the necessary nemesis of our superhero with a help from his fishy sidekick Minion (David Cross). In one of their usual encounters, the blue-skinned evildoer killed Metroman. Shocked, he found himself alone at the top. Boredom sets in until the forsaken fiend had a light-bulb moment after a disguised conversation with reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Fey). His solution â" create a superhero. Problem ensues when his superhero formula accidentally hit a local cameraman (Jonah Hill) turning him into crooked superhero Tighten. Complicating matters is burgeoning love of Megamind (gasp) for our feisty reporter. The battle between evil and something more evil begins.

Voice acting is awesome. Anything with Tina Fey is awesome. Though it was Brad Pitt that charmed me off. He is so good. Something unbelievable happens whenever pretty boys shed their matinà (C)e idol image. Pitt. Matt Damon. Leonardo Di Caprio. Never mind Tom Cruise. As I mentioned earlier, Dreamworks animated films thrive in pop cultural references. However, overdoing it ruins a franchise such as the Shrek sequels. Thankfully, this one did not suffer the same fate. A favorite of mine is the Marlon Brando-like character who trains Tighten. Echoing his iconic turn as Jor-El in the old Superman movies. It further illustrates the difference between Metroman and Tighten. The latter is a creation but the former is born one. Unlike other superheroes who needs amulets and the occasional spider bites, Superman was born with superhuman abilities. Thus, much like Metroman, he is pure not flawed. Too much geeking out.

Then there is Minion. I cannot quite describe it. A fanged fish in a bowl with customized robotic torso. A most welcome comic relief. Though in a Minion of Megamind vs Minions of Gru Match - I will side with the adorable ones. Dreamworks better think of sidekick names other than minion. Backslapper. Groupie. Parasite. Subordinate.

Megamind is presented with a choice between destiny and freewill. He chose to become a villain when he was younger because he thought that being bad is the best he can do. But will he choose to remain one? Like Oedipus of the old. Remember him? Such a tragic character but stupid one too. Not being able to take hints from an oracle is stupid in my book. You were fated to have an all-out and creep-out relationship with your mother, why hook up with aggressive cougar types? Megamind understood his problem. He decided to make a choice. He did â" after all destiny is a choice we make.

RATING: B.