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Megamind (2010)

Director: Tom McGrath

Time Out rating

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3 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

A steady flow of superhero-movie conventions are given the wink-wink treatment in this hyperactive Dreamworks animation about Megamind, a blue, bulbous-headed scoundrel, voiced by Will Ferrell, who plunges into depression when he unexpectedly kills his rival, Metro Man (voiced by Brad Pitt), and finds himself short of anyone to foil his schemes. At a low ebb (and holding a torch for feisty, Jean Seberg-a-like reporter Roxanne Ritchi, voiced by Tina Fey) he entertains the notion of giving up evil altogether.

If this sounds a little like the recent ‘Despicable Me’, that’s because it rolls with a similar idea, albeit employing a more realistic animation style and a strain of reference-heavy humour aimed at a slightly more mature audience. But the film also pinches a few pages out of the ‘Kick-Ass’ rule book, notably in the way it dismantles the archetypal ‘masked crusader’ and delights in revealing the mundane chores of life as a full-time master of chaos: those jumbo-collared leather capes don’t just stitch themselves, you know.

Ferrell’s voice work is spot on. He even runs with an amusing speech impediment for which Metro City becomes Metrocity, and in one truly surreal moment he answers the telephone with ‘Olo?’, after which his minion (David Cross) reminds him, ‘It’s “hello”.’ Yet, for a film whose stock in trade are tongue-in-cheek reversals of comic-book cliché, it too often settles for trite audience-pleasing. We can only guess how long it took the guys in the soundtrack team to come up with ‘Bad to the Bone’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’. And when Jonah Hill’s bumbling cameraman is zapped with a superpower raygun and hastily ushered in as the enemy, the film jettisons its raison d’etre for a standard, if splendidly executed, city-wrecking finale.

Author: David Jenkins

Time Out London Issue 2102: 2 – 8 December, 2010

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User reviews of this film

Tomiwa said...

Posted on Jan 02 2011 20:11 The film was good and I liked the bit when megamind was falling with his gun I rate 5 for megamind falling and when they thought metroman died

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Sammie said...

Posted on Dec 21 2010 18:18 It Waas Amazing It Was Likee Thee Best Film I Havee Eveer Seeen! 5 Stars It Waas Just To Gooood :)xxx :Lx

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Dec 07 2010 20:20 a w/e preview and 5 days......and not ONE comment? I hope it's not a Potter victim as this is FAR superior. Saw it in 3d which was impressive if not outstanding and may enjoy it again in 2d (if it's still on next week!) Really don't like Ferrell, but he's fine here so I guess it's his stupid face that Irks! A very good xmas treat. File over despicable me and Shrek 4, some way under Toy Story 3 and WAY below the surprise of the year HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.
But forgetting all that, If its a Megamind / Potter toss up......THIS wins handsomely. 7+/10

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