If Pixar is the venerated superhero of digital animation, DreamWorks is their conniving arch-nemesis, their grand plans for global animation domination (and Oscar glory) constantly being thwarted by Pixar’s pristine reputation. But if there’s one thing DreamWorks have proven with their villainous comedy Megamind, it’s that bad guys still have the capacity to do good. Indeed, Megamind is very good.
It mightn’t spoil Toy Story 3’s Oscar odds, but DreamWorks’ latest is a clear cut above Universal’s remarkably similar Despicable Me, the shallow gag-driven animation starring Steve Carell that also lent villainy a sympathetic eye. Although both films toy with the idea of it being “good to be bad”, only Megamind truly backs up such a claim with its exceptional voice cast, intricate character-driven story and dazzling use of 3D animation. It’s never quite slap-your-knees hilarious, but it will still have you smiling from dimple to dimple for every one of its 95 minutes.
Will Ferrell successfully utilises his zany sense of humour when voicing eccentric supervillain Megamind, who with his bright blue skin and bulbous head, looks a lot like a tumorous Na’vi extra from Avatar. He is what Dr. Evil is to Austin Powers, boasting an evil lair with crocodile-infested pits and a satellite Death Ray he intends to use on his heroic rival Metro Man (a well-cast but underutilised Brad Pitt). Yet we’re told that Megamind, despite kidnapping news reporter Roxanne Richie (Tina Fey) on a routine basis, was not born evil; parodying the origin of Superman, the story goes that baby Megamind and baby Metro Man were sent to Earth from their respective alien planets before they were destroyed. Whereas Metro Man found his way into a wealthy and loving household, Megamind wasn’t so lucky, crash-landing into a maximum-security prison. Raised on skewed morals by the inmates, Megamind struggled to fit into wider society during his youth, eventually becoming complicit in the notion that the only thing he is good at is being bad.
Fast forward to adulthood and Megamind is the despised nemesis of the beloved Metro Man, constantly being thwarted in his attempts to destroy the hunky protector of Metro City. Yet one day, his dastardly plan actually works. Metro Man is, uncharacteristically, defeated for good. Despite being initially overjoyed by his newfound supremacy, Megamind is left to ponder: what use is a supervillain without a superhero?
Beginning with a barrage of sight-gags and superhero parodies, the screenplay by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons initially gives off the impression of being light-hearted and imitative, but during the second act, it develops into something surprisingly complex and contemplative. This is where a victorious Megamind, having disrupted the good vs. evil equilibrium that gave his life purpose, enters into an existential state of depression. As deep as that sounds, parents reluctant to answer a bombardment of questions on the drive home shouldn’t fear; these themes is so well explored under Tom McGrath’s confident and considered direction, I suspect even kids in the audience will be able to grasp, to some degree, the hefty concepts being explored. Furthermore, the superb character animation and exhilarating sky-high action sequences (particularly in 3D) does exceptionally well to prevent the film from feeling like one long philosophy lesson.
Although the film is still a little light on sentiment – the budding romance between Megamind and Roxanne is fairly generic – the strong focus on character rather than caper is something of a breakthrough for DreamWorks Animation, who in the past have tended to favour screwball adventures and pop-culture comedy over anything more substantial (i.e. the Shrek and Madagascar series). Encouragingly, 2010 has seen the studio change their focus; earlier this year, How to Train Your Dragon showcased some serious emotional weight, while Megamind has now demonstrated a strong thematic maturity. If they could just combine both these elements into the one film, DreamWorks might just emerge as Pixar’s kryptonite.
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