Its the age-old story of superhero versus super villain, but with a twist.
In the latest work from DreamWorks Animation, the twist is the point of view.
The hero of our movie is a big-headed, blue-skinned, super genius villain named Megamind.
From a nearby planet comes the pod containing Megaminds future sworn enemy, Metro Man (Brad Pitt).
From the first day of school, the two were natural rivals.
Metro Man was the handsome one with all the powers, Megamind the blue freak from the nearby prison.
Every hero needs a villain.
Megamind decides to be that villain.
Theres just one small problem: Megamind is not a successful villain.
So, what happens when the villain finally wins one?
Thats one of the problems ofMegamind: its a fun enough picture, but theres no scope to it.
Thats not to damnMegamindwith faint praise because, as animated adventures go, its fairly good.
The climactic battle scenes, in particular, are very exciting.
The visual effects are very good, particularly the flying scenes, but its overwhelming.
At some points, things move just a little too fast for the mind to process properly.
The movie moves at a leisurely pace, then abruptly charges forward in gallops before slowing down again.
InMegamind, the only person with his off-screen looks connected to his on-screen character is Jonah Hills Tighten/Hal.
Aside from the red hair of Tighten, theyre basically the same guy.
All the others inMegaminddont resemble their real-life counterparts.
Tina Fey and Roxie also look nothing alike.
Ditto Brad Pitt and Metro Man.
Its a bit disconcerting.
Megamindis a fun, witty picture, but its nothing special.
Pixar has already taken on the superhero business, and is incredibly hard to top.
More jokes hit than miss, but there are long stretches of the movie where it just feels flat.
UScorrespondent Ron Hogan has always wanted to be a super villain.
Find more by Ron at his blog,Subtle Bluntness, and daily atShaktronicsandPopFi.
Rating:
3 out of 5
