When a cartoon movie is narrated as a flashback, you know most of the little kids sitting in the seats around you are Not Going To Get It. MEGAMIND tells the story of two aliens sent to Earth by their parents to avoid the destruction of their home planets (sound familiar?). One becomes a Superman clone (called Metro Man) with super-strength, the ability to fly, and X-ray vision. The other, the blue alien, only has his incredible intelligence as his strength. The blue alien, after being shunned by the other kids, becomes a Super Villain called Megamind. He has a cute fish called “Minion.” And, of course, there is an intrepid woman reporter, Roxanne Ritchie. I don’t know who the target audience for this movie is. Its exploration of identity issues is too complex for little kids. Teenagers are going to be bored by its traditional, preachy message. Adults (in the company of little kids) will Get It. Will Ferrell does a grand job as the outlandish Megamind. Tina Fey brings her predictable character to life. Despite its potential, this is a pretty average movie. B-
This has made $144 million in the states, and a bit more than that overseas. Don’t know who the audience is, but they seem to have turned out for it. I wonder if Will Ferrell and the character he plays is the main reason.
Or maybe people will go to pretty much anything in 3-D.
Will Ferrell does a great job with the weak script he was given, Drongo. No doubt the 3D effects are an attraction. MEGAMIND could have been a whole lot better if the writers came up with a better story.
I don’t get the 3D craze at all. It was great in AVATAR but that was gorgeously done.
Roger Ebert is dead against 3D, Patti. But some people are attracted by the novelty. Sadly, almost all the 3D movies are inferior to the 3D in AVATAR.
Exactly, Patti. Every piece of crap is not enhanced by throwing a little 3D up on the screen, usually in lieu of a script.
Though I must admit I am looking forward to seeing Nicolas Cage return from Hell in 3D in DRIVE ANGRY.
I confess I’m interested in DRIVE ANGRY, too, Jeff.
Firstly, you make a mistake in labeling an animated film a “cartoon”, then you assume “cartoons are for kids”. Sure, and so are comic books. “Hey kids, comics!” has been outdated – other than in Ted Hertel’s apazine – for decades. Sequential art, in either static (comics and graphic novels) or motion (animation) isn’t just for kids, and these days is rarely for them.
I figured, correctly from what I’ve read, that the target for this was tweens and teens, the same group that How to Train Your Dragon was aimed at, though that film ended up with a much broader audience.
As or 3-D, Patti hit it on the head. Generally, 3-d isn’t worth the cost and has been applied to many films – a lot o them animated – that were or would have been just as good or better without. I’m not seeing a big surge of 3-D televisions being sold, either.
Roger Ebert hates 3D, Rick. “Animated” and “cartoon” may mean different things to you, but they’re synonymous to me. Some of these animated films might have an adult level built into them (like TOY STORY 3), but the target market is kids. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON was a much better movie than MEGAMIND.