Megamind is a film based
on the classic superhero archetype of superhero vs supervillain which involves a large blue headed
protagonist named Megamind (Will Ferrell) who is more antagonist than
protagonist. So this blue-headed evil genius unfortunately has one
problem, his arch-nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt) who is always on the
scene to mess up one of his outrageous plans of delusions and grandeur,
not to mention world domination <insert evil villain laugh>.
But every story has a
beginning and just like Superman, both Megamind and Metro Man were rocketed into space
because their home planets were doomed by a black hole. Thankfully their caring parents sent them to Earth,
one growing up in luxury (Metro Man) and the other with workmen. Ironically
both attended the same school of gifted individuals and sadly, Metro Man
was the class favourite which rubbed off wrongly on Megamind. Megamind
soon discovered that crime actually does pay and there is a great
montage of our villain doing "bad" things that is spurned on by George
Thorogood and the Destroyers song Born to be Bad. Besides
planning on world domination, Megamind's prime task was to destroy his
nemesis!
Amazingly enough, this
bungling villain finally gets the upper hand and unwittingly "kills"
Metro Man, finally achieving his ultimate goal... but wait...
what will Megamind do now? Every villain needs a hero right? That's
right, Megamind becomes bored with his life because he has no opposite
and deep down, he enjoyed the battles with Metro Man. He decides to
create a new foe called Tighten (Jonah Hill) but unfortunately this new hero
turns out to be evil which forces Megamind into a role reversal.
Thankfully in all this villainy and heroics
in the story is some great humour, due to Will Ferrell and the lovely Tina Fey who plays Roxanne Richie, a Lois
Lane type reporter who falls for Megamind. The relationship between
Megamind and Roxanne is a treat to watch unfold that is steeped in
villainy because Megamind disguises himself as the humble human called
Bernard (Ben Stiller) for Roxanne to fall for him. You're
probably already guessing how the movie will end but it's actually quite
a fun movie to watch and easily one of the better CGI films of last
year.
Once again Ferrell is perfect as the lead role who really gets into this
character and his pronunciation of words is quite absurd but thoroughly
entertaining such as him mispronouncing his hometown of Metro City which
he calls Metrosity. Jonah Hill is excellent as well who plays Hal
Stewart, the man turned into Tighten by Megamind and becomes corrupt
with his new new powers. Finally we have David Cross as Minion,
Megamind's sidekick who is actually a fish in a suit. It's all classic
humour!
But compared to Invisibles which is still one of the best CGI superhero
movies to date, Megamind has a darker tone but it is still a movie that
can be watched by most people, especially with its humour and sometimes
subtle adult innuendos. I also enjoyed the subtleties in the movie such
as Hal wearing a "Error 404 request not found" t-shirt, it's just too
cool for school.
Video & Audio
The 1080p video of Megamind looks fantastic on our FULL HD TV with super
sharp images, colours that almost appear to be from another world
of how bright and vibrant they are and CGI animation to die for.
The attention to detail on this movie is remarkable that is highlighted
by the clarity of the video. As the film was CGI, there was no grain or
dust and it's almost reference quality. My only
gripe is that there is no Megamind 3D on Blu-ray!
Audio uses a 7.1 Dolby TrueHD mix that is spectacular and definitely
borders on reference material once again. The movie is well mixed with good levels
and when the action heats up, it's almost like you are in the middle of
a battle as your surround sound system kicks in. Audio is exceptionally
clear as is the majestic and boppy soundtrack. I love the old school
soundtrack for this film.
Special Features
When it comes to special features, this double play collection
contains the movie on both Blu-ray and DVD. however for special
features, there is a wealth of content here that include the following;
-
Megamind The Button
of Doom (Comedy adventure with Megamind and Minion)
-
Meet the Cast (HD)
-
Discover the Lost
Scene (HD)
-
Visit Megamind's
Lair (HD)
-
Experience
AnimatorMan (HD)
-
Learn to Draw
Megamind (HD)
-
Unleash the Reign of
Megamind Video Comic Book
-
Filmmaker's
Commentary
-
Fun High - Flying
Games and More!
Because the movie was so
enjoyable, the extras are pretty darn impressive that include a plethora
of featurettes from a deleted scene, meeting the cast of Megamind,
games, animation techniques, commentary and even how to draw the hero in
question. These features are for both kids and adults alike!
Conclusion
If you're a fan of CGI movies, than Megamind should be added to your
collection and compared to some of the other animated releases of late,
this one is easily the superior one and it really helps that Will Ferrell
is the star. It features action, romance and drama that is
suitable for just about everyone in the family, even with the “death” of
Metro Man. Sure, the movie may be clichéd here and there but what
animated feature isn't? To infinity and beyond! Oops... wrong movie... I
meant ... if you don't like this movie and according to Megamind,
it
can be easily reheated,
in
the microwave of evil!
Recommended!