The animated film Megamind that came out in 2010 was an innovative, comedic, and endearing film with jaw-dropping spectacular visuals and skilled voice performers, including the likes of Will Farrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and David Cross. 14 years on, a new film of this kind goes straight to the streaming “graveyard”. This film has unoriginal animation and a lackluster cast who are just inline to meet the vocals. It is sometimes amusing and in other scenes mildly heartwarming, as if the creators have made half-hearted attempts to recreate the original. Its main objective is to promote the upcoming “Megamind Rules” which will grace your TV in time for this month.
The intended audience’s generation was not yet in existence when the first film was released, and so the sequel opens with a short summary. Megamind (originally played by Ferrell, now Ferguson) was the arch villain in Metrocity, a place that he still insists on pronunciation that rhymes with ‘atrocity’ and which was inhabited by a technologically equipped fish in a bowl that is placed on top of a robotic torso, originally David Cross and now Josh Brener. This character was largely called Minion in the first film but is referred to in this film as Ol Chum so as not to associate him or confuse him with the famous yellow Minions of the despicable me movie. Watching how a heroic Superman-like champion of the Metropolis created by Megamind only to have him step down left Megamind with an evil villain that he created, like every evil person in every story he turned hero with the help of the city ethnic news reporter Roxanne, played by Laura Post, who used to be Fey.
This is an interesting premise about the re-education of assistance by way of changing perspective for Megamind in order to figure out how to best handle the enemies that were once his friends.
At the onset, the scene involves him chasing a group of fish impersonators, though he takes a beat and endearingly says, “That’s the kinds of things the old evil me would’ve done back in the day.” At times, he says, “I long for the dullness of the bad days, the bad old days.”
He misses it even more when his devoted sidekick Ol’ Chum walks away as Megamind refuses to promote him as a sidekick. Alone, Megamind does not even know how to operate his toaster. And then his old gang, the Doom Syndicate, escapes from incarceration and he has to find a way to convince them that he is still evil while trying to capture them first before they execute their vile plan. He uses Roxanne to play the part of his wife and a conspirator. Furthermore, a smart courageous young girl Keiko (Maya Aoki Tuttle) who is well cultured and knows about new phenomena such as live streaming and social media helps Megamind realize that he can get assistance from others. Ol’ Chum has his own sketches in a diner but also returns to the team.
Doom Syndicate has a French ‘meme’ who does not speak, a fiery creature who resembles ’Lava Rock’, Bolt from ‘Bolt’, a Guy who changed his name from ‘Lord Knight’ to ‘Lord Nighty-Night’ has a stuffed toy called Mr Cuddly Snuggles. All this means the movie makes the young viewers feel better by portraying the evil characters and the violent views more in engaging ways rather than terrorizing the audience – together with popular dung and vomit slapstick. It is less convincing in relation to its built in audience in some of the tongue in cheek, not particularly ‘watchable’ for parents taking their kids along, too out of the loop, two generations or more. Seriously, jokes about “Titanic” the melody and words by Simon and Garfunkel from 1960s, some nose hair after cutters? Even more recent references would be just for these youngsters elementary schoolers. The doom syndicate does a block party night before big plan and there Megamind complains that he is “unauthorized victim of the alternative thanks giving party,” advises others attending the party to ‘cover’ the drinks and states to the DJ “this stanky won’t go in my pocket!”
The lessons about bullying and teamwork, that there is a difference between other people who are good and the villains, and the good ones care about the safety and feelings of others.
The power of voting and democracy is ,however, emphasized albeit in an understated manner. Comparing it to the original or other recent adaptations such as “ Boss Baby” or “The Bad Guys,” it feels very quick and very flimsy.
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