Megamind

Although a bit obvious, IMDb states that ‘Megamind’‘s plot revolved around: “What if Lex Luthor defeated Superman?” An interesting concept that is dealt with adequately in ‘Megamind’, but the film has other problems than the plot.

The titular character of the story is an alien who was sent to Earth as his planet was being destroyed. His rival, Metro Man, is in the same situation from a neighboring planet. While Metro Man had a loving family and did good, Megamind grew up in a prison and turned bad. This is nothing revolutionary, but alas, there is the backstory.

My problem with this movie is that it is clearly marketed as a comedy and is mostly miserable in that aspect. The jokes ramp up about halfway through as we get some real context for the situations, but the slapstick jokes and comedy cliches are tiresome for the first 40 minutes.

So as a comedy, I would give the movie low marks, but I have some lukewarm admiration for the premise. I think if the film had been played straight and only peppered with comedy (such as DreamWorks’ recent ‘How to Train Your Dragon’) it would have been much more enjoyable. Yet, when compared to other recent DreamWorks efforts, Megamind still ranks well (we could rank it below ‘Dragon’ and ‘Monsters vs. Aliens’, but well above ‘Kung Fu Panda’, ‘Madagascar 2’, or the Shrek sequels). But what is one to expect from the director of ‘Madagascar’ and its sequel?

With that said, it is worth the watch if it is on TV or if a friend recommends it. Definitely not worth a theater ticket. Tina Fey does a sparkling job as the reporter who moves a little from predictability but not enough to warrant commendation. Will Ferrell is adequate and doesn’t oversell his part, which is something he has been very guilty of in the past. And Brad Pitt, well, he does well, and his character may be one of the best parts of the movie (other than Megamind mispronouncing any word with more than 6 letters).

Metro Man could be a Superman, but Megamind is far from Lex Luthor. The film would have been better if he was as serious a villain as his bald counterpart.