"Megamind 3D" Movie Review (2010)

"Megamind 3D"

Movie Review

Directed by Tom McGrath, written by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, 96 minutes, rated PG.

By Christopher Smith

There is plenty to admire in Tom McGrath's new computer-animated film, "Megamind," particular at the beginning, when Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons' script is as its tightest and funniest.

With wit and verve, they sweep the audience into the ether and leave them surprised by something unusual--intelligence. With the exception of Pixar's films and this year's terrific "How to Train Your Dragon," it isn't often when today's animated features are given the kind of care "Megamind" initially enjoys, and so because of this, it's impossible not to get caught up in the storytelling.

The film starts with the ongoing rivalry between two tots from outer space--Megamind (voice of Will Ferrell) and Metro Man (Brad Pitt).

In a well-done montage, we watch them grow into adults on Earth. With his large head and purple skin, Megamind never fits in with his new schoolmates--he's relentlessly bullied, which works to change his initially kind demeanor into something darker. But with Metro Man's muscles, good looks and his cool ability to fly, he's a shoo-in for popularity, which he enjoys...a bit too much.

As for each, they both have a thing for reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey, nicely deadpan, as usual), who also must ward off her cameraman Hal (Jonah Hill, nicely frenetic, as usual). But when Megamind decides that the only way he will receive respect in Metro City is by becoming a villain with the help of his sidekick Minion (David Cross), the dynamic between the characters change, especially when Megamind takes Hal under his wing and turns him into an evil undoer.

If all of this sounds like a rave, it's because the first half of the movie deserves one. But then, once Metro Man is out of picture for reasons that won't be revealed here, the comic tension evaporates and we're left with a movie in search of a story. It tries to drum one up with Hal, but that angle has nothing on the caustic chemistry enjoyed by Megamind and Metro Man, and the result is a movie that that eventually falls flat.

Given the potential that's squandered here, it's sad to watch "Megamind" implode. It enjoys a fresh blast of ingenious writing at the start and then it gives way to stark predictability. It's as if someone put the plot on a starvation diet. After feeding "Megamind" with a wealth of clever twists and turns and a mouthful of beautifully written, off-beat bon mots, it all dissipates into a movie that really should have been called "Nevermind."

Grade: C+