Now then, onto DreamWorks.
Megamind is simply astounding; my initial impression was that it was basically going to be Shrek, only in modern day and with super hero clichés instead of fantasy ones...
Instead we got this:
Instead of a pure comedy movie that doesn't age well, we got a well written, exciting, and fun movie about a Super Villain coping with finally killing his Super Hero, falling in love with the woman he used to use as a damsel in distress (suddenly became creepy now that I think about it, but it is much better when you watch the movie), creating a new super hero that turns into a super villain, and finally becoming the local anti-hero. When was the last time Pixar had a villain as the hero? Disney?
Megamind is one among the new trend of DreamWorks films; Each of their films now seem to glorify their respective genres, rather than tear it down like Shrek did. How to Train Your Dragon: High Fantasy. Monsters Vs Aliens: Monster movie. Kung Fu Panda: Kung Fu film. Rise of the Guardians: holiday film. Each one is loving towards it's genre, and has fun with it. True, two of them are based on books... But since when have we said that films based on books are bad?
Megamind follows the genre of Super Heroes, and asks "What if Lex Luthor killed Superman?" And goes from there.
... Well, the version of Lex Luthor that was a super villain, and not a corrupt businessman that would actually sell his devices if it made him money.
One of the best compliments I can give this film is this: the writers treated the audience like adults. While there is a generic lying subplot, it actually works here, and actually works to add to the drama. The romance is also pleasant, with the romance between Roxanne Richie and Megamind being the best Non-action scenes in the movie. The comedy, while sometimes being a little far and inbetween and mostly relying on gags, is pretty good. The best scene is the Banter between Megamind and Metroman, and I dare not ruin it for anyone interested in watching.
And as for the action... Well, think of a superman movie. Now imagine that it was animated, and they weren't restricted by technology in what they could show in the battle. THAT is what the action is like. Unrestricted by the bounds of our world, the movie is free to be as artistic and exciting as it wants with the action.
Now, why did I review this movie...
I selected it along with Despicable Me, and Yes Man for a group of reviews on a couple subjects.
One of those subjects:
Animated movies being written the same as live-action.
Megamind is the perfect example of an animated movie written in this way; it could be translated to live action with very little loss in the story. It was written with entertaining all audiences in mind, and succeeds.
The second Subject:
Comedy tempered with Drama. One likely knows of "comic relief," the section of a dramatic movie inserted to lessen the tension. However, it is now used primarily in comedies, putting comic relief characters into a comedy for the sole purpose of being butt-monkeys or being childish. Think Jar Jar Binks and you'll know what I mean.
Now, imagine the inverse: Dramatic Relief. Drama inserted into a comedy to relax the audience.
I'll go more over this subject in the following reviews, just know this: Megamind does this well.
This has been Fixer Sue, setting up for a bigger review on a movie that hasn't aged well for me, Despicable Me.
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