Movie review by Neil Sadler
Starring (voices of): Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross
Director: Tom McGrath
I suppose you could see MEGAMIND as an allegory. One film company is the hero and everyone loves everything that they produce. The other has the potential for good, but seems to be universally hated; even though it has made itself very rich. But MEGAMIND is much more than the story of the evil DreamWorks vs. the heroic Pixar. It is one more in a long line of DreamWorks animations that are beautiful, exciting and thoroughly enjoyable that somehow seems to lack the heart and the originality to take them into the realms of Pixar.
MEGAMIND is the story of a villainous alien that is sent away from his own planet as a baby and arrives on earth without a mission. At the same time, Metroman arrives on Earth and quickly becomes the defender of Metro City, usually defending it against Megamind. The two share a rivalry that always ends with Metroman victorious and Megamind in jail. All this changes when Megamind seemingly kills Metroman and is left without a nemesis to fight against.
It is a beautiful looking film, colourful and witty with the usual depth of inventiveness in the backgrounds and characterisation that we have come to expect from most DreamWorks animations. The 3D adds to this depth but is rarely showy. There have been so many 3D movies that filmmakers now seem to have less desire to use it to show off. Particularly with animations or films that are heavily computer generated, 3D can make the whole world seem rounded and more real. It can also involve you more in the action and there are some great action sequences here, although as usual when the action is particularly fast, the 3D blurs the action slightly.
DreamWorks likes its “star” voices and here we have an unrecognisable Will Ferrell as Megamind. Like Mike Myers he is far less annoying when just a voice and helps to make Megamind a rounded and sympathetic character. Brad Pitt is self-depreciating Metroman and Tina Fey makes a suitably feisty “Lois Lane.”
None of this means that MEGAMIND is a bad film. It is thoroughly enjoyable with lots to please an audience of 6 to 60. There are some genuinely funny set pieces and jokes, the story zips along at a fine pace and I was absorbed from beginning to end. Like all good entertainment, it will pass the time and you will enjoy it, but like MONSTERS VS ALIENS, MADAGASCAR etc, it won’t leave you with much to remember afterwards.
